Odds Update on NFL Week 14 and Playoff Futures Outlook

The Green Bay Packers have done their best to knock themselves out of the playoffs. After an impressive 6-0 start, the Pack have dropped four of their last six games. However, after last Thursday’s last second win in Detroit and Minnesota’s loss to Seattle, the team is still in first in the NFC North. The team is treading water, but are at least swimming in the right direction for the first time in a long time.

The Pack should be in must-win territory from here on out, but three out of their final four should be enough to lock up the division. The NFL betting line at TopBet favors Green Bay over Dallas by -7.5 even though Dallas is starting to play slightly better football. The Packers then have dates with the Oakland Raiders, Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings. At 10-2 the Cards are one of the best teams in the game, but the other three teams are definitely beatable.

The Packers are still favorites to win the division, despite their struggles. To win the NFC though, something that was almost a given most thought at the start of the year, may be more of a test. Currently their odds of winning the conference are at +400, which is good enough for fourth best behind Carolina, Arizona, and Seattle. While their odds of winning the Super Bowl are at +800, which is extremely generous considering the team lost to the Lions and Bears in the past month.

Should the team keep their NFC Championship and NFC North division title hopes alive, they’ll need to get some help from troubled running back Eddie Lacy. Lacy has been of the biggest disappointments this year for the Packers. Coming off two-one thousand plus yard seasons, Lacy has put up career lows across the board. So far he has a mere two touchdowns, and only 517 yards on the ground. He’s been almost more disappointing than Jordy Nelson. That was a joke, but game in and game out it feels like their stats are comparable.

Lacy has one more year on his contract and will be a cap hit of $1,079,404 next season. Meanwhile, James Starks has been less impressive as the number two as well. Putting up comparable numbers to Lacy (which is not a good thing), all the while hitting the cap at $1.8 million this season.

If the Pack can relieve the pressure on the passing game, they’ll once again be a force in the NFC and a Super Bowl favorite.

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Comments (9)

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Zub's picture

December 09, 2015 at 11:08 am

I think at this point of the season, Lacy is a back up, the team as whole appears to have Lacy's attitude, I can play when I want, gain as much weight as I want, and prepare for the games the way he wants regardless of curfew.

I think this attitude can become contagious on a team, Lacy should not be apart of the game plans moving forward this year, send a message to the rest of the team, cut out the bad MOJO Lacy is bringing this year.

I would not give up on Lacy, but additional expectations should be made in the off season.

If Mike M. Continues to put up with Lacy and rely in him, the rest of the team simply will not be energized to give it there all

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MadJam's picture

December 09, 2015 at 01:03 pm

At least Eddie Lacy can punctuate a sentence.

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shalanda02's picture

December 15, 2015 at 11:52 am

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MadJam's picture

December 09, 2015 at 01:00 pm

Give us a break. Another post bashing Eddie Lacy. The best running back the Packers have had in 10 years, and now he's got to carry the team for the rest of the way. What a load of b.s..

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4thand1's picture

December 09, 2015 at 01:57 pm

They are doing what every media outlet does. They get a story and beat it to death until something new or juicier comes along. Never mind doing the ground work and getting the facts. The team says Eddie is practicing good and took care of it internally.

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Lphill's picture

December 09, 2015 at 01:33 pm

I met and spoke to Eddie once, he seemed humble and sincere and smart as well , I don't think he has a bad attitude , I think he needs more carries not less to get going , the defense with the youth movement , Randall ,Ryan and Rollins is playing with a lot of energy I don't see anyone dogging it there, Dallas should be a good test but I don't see the Pack falling to Matt Casall .

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Dan Stodola's picture

December 09, 2015 at 04:25 pm

Its funny, everyone here was bitching nonstop when Rodgers was injured how they only managed to win 3 games while he was out. How Tolzien was the next Peyton Manning (tWins, er mr trump), how Flynn (who was .500 during his time) was terrible. Now just look how Dallas did w/ veteran backups like Weeden and now Cassel and they needed complete luck to win ONE game this year w/o Rhomo.

I don't see anyway the cowpies beat the Packers w/ Cassel. Good test? Not really IMO.

Lacy may need his carries to be productive, but personally I'm not going to reward his missing curfew by giving it to him! Packers did what they needed to do. Send a message, talk to him to make sure the message was received loud and clear, handle it in private and keep it in house as much as possible. Now its time to move on. Which I'm sure the Packers will do by not talking about it anymore.

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brewers_rule's picture

December 10, 2015 at 03:01 pm

More of the same 'we can still with the division and that's good enough' talk.

This team has a Super Bowl caliber defense that's the only thing keeping us in games right now. If we get just a LITTLE bit back to the offense we typically have (2/3 even?) we have enough to get back there and that's why I'm optimistic.

But the fact we've been watching this for 6 weeks now with no philosophy or personnel changes and continued press conferences denying that's even necessary makes me think MM's willing to lose the next 4 if he has to just to avoid admitting he was wrong and actually MAKING a change. On the other hand, if we see Abby & Janis mixing in more and see more slants/pick plays against the Cowboys, I'll have to admit he's adjusting.

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Ruppert's picture

December 10, 2015 at 03:53 pm

I can't see the Pack losing to Cassel.

But I can see Teddy Bongwater getting smoked tonight (so to speak) by AZ.

All alone in first come Sunday night.

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