Green Bay (3-3-1) at New England (6-2)
When: Sunday, November 4th 2018
Where: Gillette Stadium,
Foxborough, Massachusetts
Time: 8:20 ET | TV: NBC
Opening Odds: New England -6/57.5
For just the second time ever – and possibly last – Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady will square-off on the football field as the Green Bay Packers visit the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football to conclude the Week 9 Sunday schedule. Rodgers and Brady will surely be first-ballot Hall of Famers five years after they retire with Brady winning three NFL MVP Awards and Rodgers two. Brady also has five Super Bowl rings, most of any quarterback, and four Super Bowl MVP Awards. Rodgers, however, has just one Super Bowl appearance – winning the game and MVP honors in XLV vs. the Steelers. In their only matchup – Week 13 of 2014 – Green Bay won 26-21 at home behind 368 yards and two TDs from Rodgers, while Brady threw for 245 and two scores. “If you want to study how to play quarterback, you need to watch that game Sunday night because you’re going to see all the little things,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “From pure quarterback play, I think this is definitely one you want to watch.” Rodgers came up short in his bid to hand the Los Angeles Rams their first loss a week ago and now must face Brady and a New England squad that has won five straight and is unbeaten at home. New England is going after its 10th consecutive home win against a Green Bay squad that is 0-3 away from Lambeau Field.
Green Bay is ranked fifth in the league in passing behind Rodgers, who is third in the NFL with an average of 326.1 yards while throwing for 13 touchdowns against only one interception. Davante Adams has helped an injury-plagued receiver corps with six touchdown catches on the season and has 24 receptions for 405 yards and three scores over the past three games. The 21st-ranked rushing attack was thinned out this week with the trade of Ty Montgomery, leaving Aaron Jones as the main guy after posting season highs with 86 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries against the Rams. The Packers are No. 5 against the pass (221.7 yards per game) but traded one of their best players – starting safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to Washington this week.
Head coach Bill Belichick is not afraid to do some odd things when it comes to running the offense, and Monday night’s win over the Buffalo Bills was no different. Belichick used wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson in the backfield in place of the injured Sony Michel and had 10 carries for 38 yards. Tight end Rob Gronkowski, who has not scored since the season opener, did not practice Thursday and is doubtful for Sunday night. Brady threw for 324 yards in last week’s 25-6 victory at Buffalo, connecting with Julian Edelman nine times for 104 yards and running back James White 10 times for 79 yards. White now has a team-leading 55 catches, 459 yards and six receiving touchdowns on the season. New England is ranked 27th in the NFL against the pass (277.3 yards per game) and will need to be at their best against Rodgers.
Green Bay is too one-dimensional and doesn’t play as good on the road as they do at Lambeau. The Patriots have been a scoring machine the last month and I don’t see them letting up against a Packers squad that is not without their All-Pro strong safety.
Pick: Patriots -5.5
Betting Trends:
- Packers are 7-16 ATS in their last 23 games in November.
- Packers are 3-7 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
- Packers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
- Packers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS win.
- Packers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Packers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up loss.
- Packers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Packers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games.
- Packers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games on fieldturf.
- Packers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games in Week 9.
- Patriots are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
- Patriots are 13-3 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.
- Patriots are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games in November.
- Patriots are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games when playing on Sunday following a Monday night game.
- Patriots are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games following a straight up win of more than 14 points.
- Patriots are 21-6-1 ATS in their last 28 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Patriots are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games after allowing less than 15 points in their previous game.
- Patriots are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Patriots are 24-9-2 ATS in their last 35 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Patriots are 21-8 ATS in their last 29 games following a ATS win.
- Patriots are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Patriots are 35-15-2 ATS in their last 52 home games.
- Patriots are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Patriots are 36-16 ATS in their last 52 games overall.
- Patriots are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games on fieldturf.
- Patriots are 34-16-2 ATS in their last 52 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 10-1 in Packers last 11 games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Over is 7-1 in Packers last 8 games on fieldturf.
- Over is 7-1 in Packers last 8 games in Week 9.
- Over is 6-1 in Packers last 7 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Over is 13-3 in Packers last 16 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Over is 13-3 in Packers last 16 games following a ATS win.
- Over is 12-3 in Packers last 15 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Over is 7-2 in Packers last 9 games following a straight up loss.
- Over is 23-7 in Packers last 30 games overall.
- Over is 6-2 in Packers last 8 games in November.
- Over is 5-2 in Packers last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Over is 10-4 in Packers last 14 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 35-16 in Packers last 51 road games.
- Under is 4-1 in Patriots last 5 vs. a team with a losing record.
- Over is 4-1 in Patriots last 5 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 4-1 in Patriots last 5 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Over is 7-2 in Patriots last 9 games when playing on Sunday following a Monday night game.
- Over is 25-8 in Patriots last 33 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
- Under is 8-3 in Patriots last 11 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Packers are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.
- Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
- Road team is 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.
