Green Bay (7-6) at Carolina (9-4)
When: Sunday, December 17th 2017
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Time: 1:00 ET | TV: FOX
Opening Odds: Carolina -2/44.5
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The Green Bay Packers season was doomed when star quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down with a broken collarbone in Week 6, but the team is still clinging to its postseason hopes and their savior is back. Rodgers will help guide the Packers to the playoffs over the next three weeks when they visit the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon. Green Bay went 3-4 under backup Brett Hundley and trail Atlanta by one game in the race for the final Wild Card spot in the NFC. The Panthers, who occupy the No. 5 spot in the conference but have a shot to win the NFC South and possibly earn home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a strong finish. The Carolina offense has picked-up steam and won five of their last six games to get into the position they’re in. The Panthers are coming off a big 31-24 home victory over Minnesota to knock the Vikings down to the No. 2 seed behind Philadelphia. Carolina got the better of Rodgers and the Packers the last time the two teams met in Charlotte, with the Panthers winning 37-29 in November of 2015.
Rodgers can’t officially be activated until Friday but spent the week practicing with the first team and breezed through his rehab quicker than expected. After scoring 23 points or less in the first four games without Rodgers, Hundley has led them to wins in two of the last three, scoring 27, 26, and 28 points. Jaamal Williams has helped stabilize the 18th-ranked rushing attack with a touchdown in each of the last three games and a 113-yard performance against Tampa Bay two weeks ago. The defense has allowed 20 or more points in four straight weeks and cornerbacks Demetri Goodson (hamstring) and Davon House (shoulder, back) are both questionable for Sunday. The Packers are 26th in overall defense (354.1) and 24th against the pass (240.3). Green Bay will finish the season with two division games (vs. Minnesota, @ Detroit).
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Former NFL MVP Cam Newton has helped Carolina becoming one of the most feared rushing teams in the league and it’s a big reason why the Panthers are in great playoff position. Running back Jonathan Stewart took home his second NFC Offensive Player of the Week Award after running for 103 yards and three touchdowns in the win over NFC North-leading Minnesota last week, and Newton is a big contributor to the running game as well. Newton has run for 585 yards and five scores on the season, while completing 60% of his passes for 2,720 yards and 17 touchdowns. He has thrown 12 picks, but only one in the past five games. The defense has been vulnerable lately, allowing 21 or more points in four straight games, but they still rank fifth in overall defense at 302.1 yards a game. Like the Packers, Carolina will finish in the division with Tampa Bay next week at home and at Atlanta on New Year’s Eve.
I don’t like taking quarterbacks after long layoffs and Rodgers is not exception. The Panthers defense is aggressive and will come after him hard and force him to make mistakes. The Panthers offense should have no trouble scoring points in this one. I like Carolina to continue their roll.
Pick: Panthers -3
- Packers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games.
- Packers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
- Packers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games on grass.
- Packers are 25-10 ATS in their last 35 games in December.
- Packers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Packers are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games following a straight up win.
- Packers are 35-16-1 ATS in their last 52 games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Packers are 1-4 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
- Panthers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games on grass.
- Panthers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating less than 150 yards passing in their previous game.
- Panthers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
- Panthers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Panthers are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games in Week 15.
- Panthers are 6-13-1 ATS in their last 20 games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Over is 5-0 in Packers last 5 games in December.
- Over is 9-1 in Packers last 10 games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Over is 7-1 in Packers last 8 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Over is 5-1 in Packers last 6 games on grass.
- Over is 13-3 in Packers last 16 vs. NFC.
- Over is 4-1 in Packers last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Over is 11-3 in Packers last 14 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 7-2 in Packers last 9 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 20-6 in Packers last 26 games overall.
- Over is 10-3 in Packers last 13 games following a ATS win.
- Over is 16-5 in Packers last 21 road games.
- Over is 4-0 in Panthers last 4 games overall.
- Over is 4-0 in Panthers last 4 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Over is 5-0 in Panthers last 5 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.
- Over is 6-1 in Panthers last 7 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 5-1 in Panthers last 6 games after accumulating less than 150 yards passing in their previous game.
- Over is 5-1 in Panthers last 6 games following a ATS win.
- Over is 4-1 in Panthers last 5 home games.
- Under is 8-2 in Panthers last 10 games in Week 15.
- Over is 7-2-1 in Panthers last 10 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Under is 9-3-1 in Panthers last 13 games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Over is 18-7-1 in Panthers last 26 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 11-5-1 in Panthers last 17 games on grass.
- Over is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings.
- Home team is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.
- Underdog is 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 meetings.
- Over is 5-2-1 in the last 8 meetings in Carolina.
