NFC
Championship Betting Preview
And then
there were two. It’ll be the top-seeded Green Bay Packers hosting the
fifth-seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship on Sunday at 3:05
P.M. Eastern.
The likely
MVP Aaron Rodgers against the ageless Tom Brady. To the winner, a spot in Super
Bowl LV. Did you miss last weekend’s action? Go take a look at NFL
Divisional Round by the numbers.
The Packers
are currently 3.5-point favorites against the visiting Buccaneers, with an
over/under set at 50.5 points.
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NFC
Championship Betting Preview: Green Bay Packers
The Packers
beat the sixth-seeded Los Angeles Rams 32-18 in the Divisional Round in a
well-rounded effort. Rodgers led the offense with nearly 300 yards passing, two
touchdowns, and a rushing score, while running back Aaron Jones ran for 99
yards and a touchdown.
The marquee
matchup was Jalen Ramsey vs. Davante Adams, and Adams came out on top, hauling
in nine balls, one for a touchdown.
The defense
held the Rams to 244 total yards of offense. Green Bay’s weakness this year has
been their run defense, which let Cam Akers rush for 90 yards and a score, but
the win over the Rams also highlighted their defensive strengths: coverage and
pass-rushing.
Green Bay’s
defensive linemen sacked Jared Goff four times, and All-Pro corner Jaire
Alexander has continued his impressive season.
Our last
pick here was a push, go check it out at Chiefs
@ Saints free pick.
NFC
Championship Betting Preview: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The
Buccaneers are the only Wild Card team to advance to a Championship Game this
year, and it comes off a 30-20 win over division rival New Orleans, a team they
lost to twice during the regular season.
Tampa Bay
is rolling on all fronts. The defense is smothering and full of playmakers, and
Brady is leading a veteran-laden offense that’s scored over 30 points in five
straight games.
It was the
defense that stepped up in the divisional round, picking off Drew Brees three
times in what is likely his last NFL game. The interceptions set the offense up
nicely throughout the game.
Brady
finished with 199 yards passing, two touchdowns, and chipped in a rushing score
from the one.
It was a
balanced attack on offense. Running back Leonard Fournette led the way with 107
total yards and a receiving touchdown.
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> Betting
the Ponies in 2021
NFC
Championship Betting Preview: Game Pick
This is set
to be a great game, and the question now becomes: how do online
sportsbooks see these teams match up?
Green Bay
is the top-ranked offense this year, no matter how you slice it. After handling
the Rams top-ranked defense, there’s reason to believe they can control the
game against the Bucs defense, strong in its own right (fifth-ranked in the
league, according to PFF).
The Packers
passing game has been tops in the league all year, and while Tampa Bay is a
top-five secondary, Rodgers is playing in a world of his own.
On the
year, Rodgers has thrown 50 touchdowns to just five interceptions.
The Packers
offense offers more balance than the Buccaneers pass-heavy approach. While
Brady and these receivers have had a great run, the presence of Jaire Alexander
is enough to alter the Bucs gameplan.
Alexander
is PFF’s top-ranked cornerback this year, a catalyst for Green Bay’s third-best
coverage unit.
At home,
I’m betting on the Packers to cover the 3.5-point spread and advance to
their first Super Bowl since 2011.
