Who would have thought that the Green Bay Packers would be facing the Carolina Panthers and it would be Green Bay — not Carolina — looking to snap a losing streak?
But while the Packers have lost two in a row and are seeing their playoff hopes get closer to disappearing, the Panthers played the role of spoiler well last week with their win over the Falcons.
Packers vs. Panthers Betting Lines, Start Time, and More
All odds from DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Spread: Packers -4
- Moneyline: Packers (-205), Panthers (+170)
- Over/Under: 38
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Bank of America Stadium
- Channel: FOX
Packers vs. Panthers Prediction
The Packers entered Week 16 needing a lot of help to finagle their way into the postseason. But a win over the Panthers on Sunday would be good first step.
And for that to happen, quarterback Jordan Love will need to continue his late-season surge. Love has had a passer rating of 100 or higher in four of his last five games, and in those games, he has 11 touchdown passes and just one interception.
Rookie wide receiver Jayden Reed, who leads the team in receiving yards (592), is coming off a six-catch, 52-yard effort vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was his highest total in receiving yards since Week 10 vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers (84 yards). He also caught a TD pass last week, his sixth of the season, to go along with his two rushing touchdowns.
Bryce Young’s performance last week probably deserves mixed reviews. His 75% completion percentage was his second highest of the season (78% vs. the Vikings in Week 4), and his 93.6 passer rating was also his second highest of the season (103.6 vs. the Texans in Week 8).
But Young was also held under 200 yards passing for the seventh straight week, and he has not thrown a touchdown pass since Week 11 vs. the Cowboys.
The Packers’ defense has been solid against the pass, as they have held nine opponents under 200 yards passing for the season, tied for the most such games in the NFL. Green Bay also had a season-high five sacks in last week’s win, while only one quarterback has been sacked more times this season than Jordan Love (51), and that is Sam Howell (59).
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
Carolina’s defense has been somewhat unique in that while the Panthers are in the bottom five in points allowed — 29th at 24.9 PPG — they are top five in total defense — third at 291.6 YPG.
The Packers have a number of injury issues heading into this weekend, but perhaps the biggest is at running back. While Aaron Jones has been cleared, AJ Dillon (thumb) is still questionable.
The wide receiver position is also a mess, as Jayden Reed (toe/chest) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) are both questionable, and Christian Watson (hamstring) is doubtful.
For the Panthers, there isn’t much major injury news heading into Week 16. Tight end Ian Thomas (ankle), linebacker Claudin Cherelus (knee), and safety Sam Franklin Jr. (quad) are all questionable.
Green Bay is 5-1 against the spread when facing an opponent with no rest advantage. But the Packers are also just 1-2 ATS as a favorite.
Carolina, meanwhile, is 1-7-1 vs. the spread against teams outside its division and 3-9-2 ATS overall this season.
The Panthers may have pulled off a surprise last week, but they were also the beneficiaries of lousy weather and a horrible interception by the Falcons, which set up Carolina’s winning field goal. Green Bay is a better team than the Falcons, so it isn’t likely to make similarly horrible late-game decisions.
In short, I’m fine giving the points in this matchup.
Best Bet: Packers -4 (-108 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
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