Another battle of legendary veteran quarterbacks takes place in Week 3 when Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers take on Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints on Sunday Night Football. After two very un-Brees-like performances the questions regarding his age sprouted again. There are no concerns about Rodgers and the undefeated Packers, who lead the NFL in yards and points after two weeks. Both teams could be without their top receiver as the injury bug has claimed Michael Thomas and Davante Adams, an intriguing development that could impact the total. The Saints are currently a 3-point favorite on the NFL betting line.
Watch this regular season NFL Week 3 matchup on Sunday, September 27, 2020, at 8:20 p.m. ET from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. Catch the game live on NBC and bet on NFL odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
NFL Odds at Bookmaker.eu
Green Bay Packers +3
New Orleans Saints -3
Over/Under 52.5
Odds Analysis
I’m not sure if the public is fading New Orleans after their horrible showing in Las Vegas on Monday night or they’re riding the Packers’ offensive onslaught. Either way, the line was wagered down from as a high as Saints -4.5 at some shops to the current -3. Both QBs can sling it, though it’s been more difficult for Brees in the early going. Green Bay overcame an early 11-point deficit to easily cover the 7-point spread last week against Detroit, improving to 2-0 SU and ATS. Over their last nine games, including playoffs, the Packers are 8-1 SU and 6-3 ATS. The Saints gave up three Derek Carr touchdown passes and offered little resistance losing outright 34-24 falling to 1-1 SU and ATS. The teams have cashed the over in both of their games.
Matchup to Watch
Rodgers cooled off last week letting the run game take over. And with the possibility of not having top receiver Adams in the lineup you can expect a heavy dose of Aaron Jones. The NFL’s leading rusher got to that point with a monstrous game against the Lions last week. Jones rushed for a career-high 168 yards and three touchdowns, including a 75-yard sprint in the third quarter that padded Green Bay’s lead. Jamaal Williams chipped in 63 yards on eight carries and the Packers totaled 259 yards averaging 7.4 yards per pop, an impressive number against any defense. The Saints have been decent against the run allowing an average of 101 yards through two games and there’s a good chance Jones lines up in a non-traditional running back formation. He had a team-high 68 receiving yards on four catches with a 30-yard TD grab that even Rodgers marveled over. “That was a pretty spectacular catch, him high-pointing that, and it was tight coverage.”
Injury Report
Blame it on no preseason games or a softened training camp or both, but injuries have hit the NFL hard in the first few weeks. And these teams aren’t immune. The Packers lost Adams early in last week’s game with a hamstring injury and his status is questionable. His absence will certainly impact Green Bay’s aerial attack since he’s the only real proven commodity. Allan Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling will be pressed into a bigger role. They each have seven catches on the season with their total three fewer than what Adams has. You can also expect Jones to be highlighted in both the run and pass game.
Take the NFL record holder for receptions in a season out of the lineup and see how the offense works. The numbers were better for Brees last week, mostly because the Saints got behind and were playing catch up in the second half. He threw for 312 yards on 26 of 38 passing but looked uncomfortable in the pocket without his security blanket on the field. Alvin Kamara had nine catches equaling the combined total of wide receivers in the game.
Free ATS Pick
Before you go writing the Saints’ obituary keep in mind that in each of the previous two seasons when they won 13 games they opened with a 1-1 record. And when they went 11-5 in 2017 they lost their first two games. And the Packers aren’t going to maintain their offensive pace that has them compiling over 8,000 yards for the season. I can see points on the board, though, which I’ll gladly back, and stick with the home team minus the points.
NFL Pick: Saints 31, Packers 26
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!
