The rumblings got louder in Wisconsin after the Green Bay Packers suffered another embarrassing loss. After so much success can Mike McCarthy be on the hot seat? Aaron Rodgers has put up decent numbers, but the defense has abandoned the team allowing at least 31 points in each contest during a three-game losing streak. Thankfully the Pack resides in the NFC North and with the Vikings plummeting the Packers are a win away from solving many of their problems. They’ll get a rematch of last season’s Wild Card game with the Washington Redskins in Week 11.
This matchup in Week 11 of the regular season will take place on Sunday, November 20, 2016, at 8:30 p.m. ET at FedEx Field.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Green Bay Packers +2.5
Washington Redskins -2.5
Over/Under 50
Odds Analysis
The line went as high as Washington -3 before being wagered down to its current number. The visitors are getting a majority of the play with 56 percent of the spread bets on the Packers, even though they are struggling. Maybe they are due for a breakout game. The Skins have been a good bet going 5-1 ATS in their last six. The total is reachable at 50 and over bettors have played 88 percent of the time. There is a good chance that number could spike before kickoff.
Injury Report
David Bakhtiari – Green Bay’s offensive line had been a staple of the team through some recent hard times, but the unit took a hit when Bakhtiari exited the last game with a knee injury. The Pack also lost guard T.J. Lang to an ankle injury, leaving the group short two starters. The line suffered, allowing five sacks and failing to open holes for the non-existent running game.
DeSean Jackson – Missed last game and is questionable this week with a shoulder injury. Jackson’s absence limited Washington’s effectiveness in the passing game with no wide receiver catching a pass for more than 17 yards.
Matchup to Watch
Without a running game the Packers have been forced to throw the football, a lot. Aaron Rodgers tossed 51 passes against the Titans, many because the team had to play catch up, but also because the ground game produced just 69 yards. For several weeks the Pack had no traditional running back with Eddie Lacy and James Starks shelved. Starks returned Sunday to provide at least a glimpse of a ground game, but getting behind by three touchdowns pretty much makes the running attack useless. Rodgers attempted the most passes in a season during his career last year and still averaged just 35.8 attempts per game. He’s surpassed that total in seven of nine games this year.
And that results in more opportunities for the defense to sack Rodgers, and opponents have obliged. Rodgers was sacked five times by the Titans, has gone down 11 times during the three-game losing streak, and has been dropped 22 times this season. The Redskins have 25 sacks on the year to rank sixth and are led by Ryan Kerrigan and Trent Murphy with seven each. The Pack’s injury concerns up front are worrisome when it comes to throwing the football.
Free ATS Pick
It’s been a rough stretch for the Packers with both injuries and losses mounting. They may have hit a low point with Sunday’s 47-25 loss to the Titans, but there is still hope in a mediocre division where the Pack is just a game behind leaders Minnesota and Detroit with games remaining against both. But Green Bay needs to fix the defensive problems that have plagued them and there isn’t much help on the horizon. Rodgers and the offense will be more productive if they don’t have to battle back from a large deficit, like they faced against Tennessee. Slowing down the Skins however could be difficult if Clay Matthews doesn’t return.
Look for Kirk Cousins to take shots in the passing game against a secondary that is still without three starters and a balanced attack will cause problems for the Pack. But the Skins continue to struggle in the run game and if the Pack can slow that down with the fourth-ranked run defense, Cousins is prone to mistakes. Green Bay wants to run the football and they should have a better chance with Starks back in the lineup. This game looks like a shootout and Rodgers won’t allow his team to lose a fourth straight game.
NFL Odds: Packers 30, Redskins 26
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