The postseason arrives a week early for the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. With the NFC North title and the home playoff game that comes with it on the line, the division rivals will square off in the final game of the 2016 regular season. While the loser of this Week 17 bout can still make the playoffs, the guaranteed route is a victory, and Aaron Rodgers is one win away from fulfilling his prophetic claim that the Packers will run the table after their 4-6 start.
This contest in Week 17 of the regular season will go down Sunday, January 1, 2017, at 8:30 p.m. ET at Ford Field.
Odds Analysis
When the teams met back in Week 3, the Packers covered as a 6-point home favorite with their 34-27 win. The spread and total have yet to surface after the Lions collapse in Dallas on Monday night, and given how the Packers have played recently, they’ll likely be a slight road favorite for this contest.
Injury Report
Bryan Bulaga – Green Bay’s starting tackle was taken out of the Minnesota game with a shoulder injury and didn’t return. It could have been a precautionary measure as the Packers had the game in hand, but it could also be a reason for concern. Rodgers has had an assortment of injuries to battle through over the past several games and keeping him upright is a must for the Packers to have continued success.
Darius Slay – The Lions sure could use their top cornerback in the season finale. Slay missed the last game with a hamstring injury and his replacement, Johnson Bademosi, was targeted often by by Dak Prescott in the Monday night loss. Prescott tossed three scoring passes and completed 15 of 20 attempts for the game. It won’t get any easier against Rodgers.
Player to Watch
The Packers are in an all too familiar position after knocking off the Vikings for their fifth straight win. For the fourth consecutive season Green Bay will play its final game with the division title at stake. The Pack fell to the Vikings last season but still qualified for the playoffs. They beat the Lions at home to clinch the 2014 NFC North crown and knocked off the Bears on the road in 2013.
After Green Bay was blasted in Washington to fall to 4-6, Rodgers boldly proclaimed his team could “run the table.” Many laughed at the suggestion after the team suffered its fourth straight loss. But Rodgers has been the catalyst and has done his part to make the prediction come to life. During the Packers five-game winning streak, Rodgers has thrown 11 touchdown passes with no interceptions and has completed over 71 percent of his passes for 1,367 yards. Rodgers shredded the Vikings defense on Saturday, tossing four touchdown passes and going for 347 yards before being pulled in the fourth quarter. Rodgers has kept up his end of the deal and needs one more win for an improbable division title. Would you want anyone else at quarterback for this game?
Free ATS Pick
The Lions are reeling at the worst time of the year. Against the Cowboys, who had nothing to play for, Detroit surrendered the game’s final 28 points and was completely outclassed. It’s been a rough two weeks for Detroit with a chance to clinch a playoff berth. They failed to score a touchdown against one of the top defensive units in the Giants. Then on Monday night they couldn’t contain one of the better offenses in the league, allowing 164 yards on the ground and a season high point total in the 41-21 loss.
Sure, the competition has been stiff, but the Lions appear to be crumbling under the pressure of earning a playoff spot. Now they’ve put themselves in tough position needing a win to claim the division crown that was all but theirs a few weeks ago. The Packers have been down this road before and that experience, plus having Rodgers playing the best ball of the season, is enough for me to give the NFC North to the Packers.
NFL Odds: Packers 27, Lions 24
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
