A vintage NFL contention draws our highlight because the 2023 steady season starts.
The Inexperienced Bay Packers discuss with the Chicago Bears at Soldier Box and stand out as our most sensible goal of Week 1.
We additionally take a more in-depth have a look at two different video games grabbing our consideration with intriguing having a bet angles.
THE HEADLINER
Packers at Bears, 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday
The road: Bears (-1)
One widespread belief concerning the Packers is that the staff will be afflicted by the departure of Aaron Rodgers, which ended in an unproven QB1 to start out the 2023 season.
However a more in-depth glance presentations that Rodgers used to be simply mortal in 2022, and that Jordan Love does not must play like an All-Professional to be helpful.
Love has a tender and bettering receiving corps led by way of Christian Watson, and a competent speeding assault with Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon returning.
Possibly perfect of all, Love is in detail acquainted with adversity.
A primary-round pick out by way of Inexperienced Bay in 2020, Love watched long term Corridor of Famer (Rodgers) habits his industry, and has been praised for his means main into this season.
“He at all times come throughout as more or less a groovy buyer. … Thru all of the ups and downs that he is had, he is maintained an overly secure, even keeled means,” Packers basic supervisor Brian Gutenkust mentioned all through coaching camp.
Love hopes to stay Inexperienced Bay’s dominance over Chicago alive – the Packers have gained 8 consecutive video games towards the Bears, together with the previous 4 in Chicago.
Chicago and Inexperienced Bay are each pegged at 7.5 wins at the Vegas regular-season over/below, however the Bears seem to have extra questions than solutions.
Quarterback Justin Fields had a breakout season, even though his staff completed 3-14 and the “breakout” did not actually contain the passing assault.
Fields stunned everybody with the quantity of speeding good fortune however stunned no person along with his relative loss of passing good fortune. Bears backers level to the arriving of celebrity wideout DJ Moore, however Moore will want to supply some critical yards-after-catch stats as a result of Fields will lean at the quick passing recreation.
The Bears misplaced operating again David Bernard Law Montgomery and now depend on Khalil Herbert to hold the burden. Already, even though, there may be discuss rookie fourth-round pick out Roschan Johnson shifting forward of D’Onte Foreman and creating a case for enjoying time.
BETTING TRENDS
In keeping with Motion Community stats, Chicago is 12-28-1 towards the unfold over the last twenty years vs. Inexperienced Bay. The Bears misplaced seven house video games in a row to near the 2022 season and 10 immediately video games total.
KEY MATCHUP
Fields vs. Packers DBs: If Fields can be triumphant with extra than simply the short-pass, checkdown recreation, the Packers may well be in hassle.
Inexperienced Bay’s defensive recreation plan could have a key center of attention on preventing the run – together with Fields – and bold Fields to overcome them deep a couple of occasions. That implies Moore must in finding good fortune towards two-time Professional Bowl nook Jaire Alexander.
Now not a very easy process.
The pick out: Packers 23-17.
BONUS COMBO
A couple of Sunday video games that experience tendencies to trace.
Panthers at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET, Sunday
The road: Falcons (-3.5)
The quantity opened at Falcons -2 however has incessantly risen all through the week and now sits above the magic 3-point mark at 3.5.
The pick out: Falcons -3.5.
The massive causes: No. 1 total draft pick out QBs of their first NFL recreation. Main ability disparity.
Carolina’s Bryce Younger suits the profile. He is the 18th No. 1 total pick out to start out at QB Week 1 of his draft yr for the reason that AFL-NFL merger.
The former 17 went 3-13-1 immediately up and 5-12 towards the unfold of their debut.
As for the ability factor? Huge receiver DJ Moore is long gone from Carolina, and the favourite to win NFL Rookie of the Yr, operating again Bijan Robinson, leads the Atlanta speeding assault.
Remaining season, the Falcons rushed for 159.9 yards consistent with recreation; the Panthers may just set up a median of handiest 306.2 yards of overall offense, twenty eighth within the NFL.
Give the issues or play it secure and take Atlanta immediately up (-185 at BetMGM as of Thursday).
Buccaneers at Vikings, 1 p.m. ET, Sunday
The road: Vikings (-5.5)
Such a lot of elements result in one staff right here, as Minnesota has a brand new defensive coordinator, Brian Flores, and Tampa Bay has a trainer who is traditionally inept as an underdog.
The pick out: Vikings -5.5
The massive causes: Training and quarterback benefit.
Bucs trainer Todd Bowles is 12-36 immediately up as an underdog and 18-27-2 towards the unfold.
The Vikings do not lack for motivation, given their over/below win overall of 8.5 is a complete 4.5 video games beneath what they completed in 2022.
Minnesota QB Kirk Cousins has most sensible goal Justin Jefferson and rookie Jordan Addison. Tampa has Baker Mayfield making an attempt for occupation reboot No. 3.
—Box Stage Media
