It’s arguable whether the fifth-seeded Green Bay Packers will be able to repeat last week’s performance when they meet the second-seeded Arizona Cardinals in an NFC Divisional Round tilt this weekend, but you’d certainly agree that Aaron Rodgers and his Packers showed some really promising signs of a team capable of frustrating any opponent in this year’s playoffs. As a matter of fact, based on the following reasons, we believe that the Packers will be able to upset the NFL odds by beating Arizona this Saturday.
Previous Games
In the NFL lines, entering a big game on a winning momentum is usually crucial, particularly in motivating players and giving them confidence in their abilities. And momentum is something the Packers have in plenty after they beat the Redskins on Sunday. Trailing by 11 points late in the first half of the game against Washington, Rodgers led a come-back as he threw for two touchdown to Davante Adams and Randall Cobb, and then running backs Eddie Lacy and James Starks each scored a touchdown on the ground, underlining the fact that the Packers still have a solid attack, balanced enough to give the Cardinals a run for their money. On defense, Green Bay’s pass rush was also present in the team’s wild card win over Washington, sacking Washington’s QB Kirk Cousins six times and disrupting his passing game repeatedly.Postseason Experience
Looking at the regular season numbers from Rodgers and Palmer, it is obvious that the Cardinals signal-caller had a much better season that Green Bay’s franchise QB. NFL bettors must, however, be cautious of trusting Palmer and his team too much. Palmer is playing just his first postseason game since 2009 and he is worryingly 0-2 in his playoff appearances, while the Cards have had some concerning results in their postseason appearances (including last year’s playoff campaign). On the flipside, Rodgers and his team are perennial Super Bowl contenders and the Packers know what it takes to win games even when they are not playing their best, something that is affirmed by Green Bay’s NFC Championship appearance in last season’s playoffs and near win in that title game, despite Rodgers playing with one injured leg. Keeping that in mind, the experienced Rodgers and his unit could be due for a big upset over the inexperienced Cardinals.Been there, Done That…
The fact that Packers are coming into this game as a Wild Card team has seen many bettors doubt their abilities, with most of them preferring to wager on the top-seeded teams like Arizona. There is obviously nothing wrong with doing that, but while you plan to pound hard on the Cardinals in the NFL betting lines, do remember that the Packers were the 6th seed five years ago yet they went on all the way to the National Finals and won the Super Bowl. Going on a similar run this year, especially now that they are motivated from beating Washington and they don’t have the pressure of playing as favorites, should thus be very possible for them.
