The Green Bay Packers are just one win away from their first Super Bowl appearance since 2010. Back then, they met the Pittsburgh Steelers in the SB XLV and beat the Iron Curtain, 31-25, with Aaron Rodgers winning his first, and only (for now) Vince Lombardi trophy.
Unfortunately, since then, the Packers haven’t been able to repeat that success. In the last 10 years, they would suffer all kinds of disappointments, frustrations, and jinxes. On top of that, they had Mike McCarthy, who would stubbornly fetter Rodgers’ unreal creativity.
But things have changed now. Matt LeFleur is in the house, setting new standards, and leading the Packers to the promised land. The NFC Championship Game was the stage where they stopped last year, and hopefully, this time, the team will have more success. The stakes are high, especially with the time slowly passing for Rodgers, who is now 37 years old.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady visit Lambeau Field this Sunday. For betting fans over the water in Michigan and worldwide, here are the odds for that matchup. Green Bay’s win is priced at 4/7, and the Buc’s victory sits at 15/9. The spread on the Packs is -4, and both outcomes here are valued 10/11. The total number limit is set at 51, and the picks are also 10/11 for either choice. We forgot to add that odds for overtimes are 8/1.
The two teams already met this season, in week 5 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers were more than confident, handing the Packs their first loss of the year, 38-10. Green Bay opened the game with ten straight points but allowed the hosts to roll over them in the next three quarters, and post one pretty high victory. It was the first game in a long time in which Rodgers didn’t have a single touchdown pass, ending the contest with two interceptions. He had a passer rating of 35.4, the second-worst in his career, behind a game in Buffalo in 2014.
This will be a battle for history, between two of the arguably most gifted passers in this century. Both Rodgers and Brady have done incredible things during their respective careers. Though, the Packers’ QB needs at least one more ring to compensate for all the lost years with McCarthy and raise himself above the sea of one-time champions.
Currently, GB is the second favorite for lifting the Vince Lombardi trophy, 15/4, with only the Kansas City Chiefs being ahead, 11/5. But, the situation can change radically if Patrick Mahomes isn’t available for the game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Mahomes received a strong hit in the head against the Cleveland Browns and is still in the concussion protocol. Buccaneers are favorite No.3 at 9/2, and the Bills are 11/2.
When mentioning Mahomes, he and Rodgers are the top two candidates for the NFL MVP award. Green Bay’s quarterback is apparently in a better position, according to the bookmakers, 3/10, while Mahomes follows with 2/1. Bills’ Josh Allen is way behind 11/1, and Titans rusher, Derrick Henry who had a 2,000+yard year, sits fourth, 25/1. Brady, who became the oldest player with 40+ touchdowns in one season, is also in the mix, but theoretical prospects, 2500/1.
If Rodgers wins this one, he will reach Brady with three trophies, and more importantly, tie himself with his predecessor in Green Bay, Brett Favre, who won honors three times in a row, between 1995 and 1997.
However, we are more than positive that the Packers’ leader would trade all this only to win another Super Bowl. He already stated on a couple of occasions that he isn’t chasing any individual achievements and that he is in a phase of his career when titles are the only thing that matters.