On Monday Night Football, the Packers will take on the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles (5-5) are coming off a loss in week eleven, while the Packers (4-6) find themselves in unfamiliar territory near the bottom of the NFC North. This Monday Night Football matchup will kick off at 8:30 PM. ET.
Last week against the Redskins, Aaron Rodgers passed for 351 yards on 26 completions for three touchdowns in a losing effort. Rodgers has received a lot of criticism this season, but he continues to put up solid numbers. On the season, Rodgers’ ranks 9th in terms of yards per game and his 25 touchdown passes ranks second in the league according to NFL Stats.
One issue facing the Packers is their pass protection. Green Bay ranks 13th in the NFL in terms of sacks allowed according to NFL Stats. Fortunately, Rodgers’ mobility has helped in terms of quarterback hits. Green Bay ranks seventh in terms of fewest quarterback hits allowed according to NFL Stats. Unfortunately for Rodgers, the Packers haven’t been able to turn his offensive production and scoring into wins.
The Green Bay defense has struggled to stop opposing passing attacks. The Packers defense ranks 23rd in terms of yards allowed per game according to NFL Stats. Perhaps even more concerning, Green Bay passer ratings for opposing quarterbacks ranks near the bottom of the league. The Packers rank 31st according to NFL Stats.
The Packers have played wildly inconsistent this season. They’ve struggle on both sides of the ball, but the biggest indicator for their struggles is the amount of points they’re allowing. On the season, the Packers have allowed over 27 points per game to opposing teams. That’s bad enough for 27th in the league according to NFL Stats.
The Eagles are coming off a hard-fought loss to the Seahawks in Seattle last week. Philadelphia is still in decent playoff position, but they’ll need to get back to winning football games if they have any chance of making the playoffs this year. The NFC East is the toughest division in football. While the Cowboys, Giants, and Redskins are the cream of the crop, the Eagles still have a realistic shot at leap-frogging one or two of those teams to get a wild card spot.
Carson Wentz has struggled over the last few weeks. On the season, Wentz ranks 25th in terms of yards per game according to NFL Stats. He’s passed for 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Since the Eagles week four bye, Wentz has passed for only 6 touchdowns compared to seven interceptions. Wentz was bound to struggle during his rookie campaign. Since their bye week, the Eagles have lost five of their last seven contests. If the Eagles are going to turn their season around, Wentz will need to overcome his struggles and begin to lead his team again.
The Eagles defense is still a unit to fear. The Eagles’ rank 4th in fewest points allowed per game according to NFL Stats. That could mean big trouble for a Packers team that’ll be desperate to score points. The Eagles will need to create a lot of pressure on Rodgers in a game that could be determined by field position. The Eagles defense has thrived on turnovers all season. They rank 8th in turnover differentials, while the Packers rank 27th in the league according to NFL Stats.
One matchup that merits watching is the Eagles run defense. Green Bay’s rushing attack ranks 20th in the league, while the Eagles’ run defense ranks 14th in the league according to NFL Stats. In comparison, the Eagles rushing attack ranks 6th in the league, while the Packers run defense ranks 27th in the league in terms of yards per game.
Eagles Vs Packers Betting Lines
BetOnline.ag has the Eagles favored to win the game by 4 points. The over/under on total points scored is 47.5. You can read our full BetOnline review here.
My Pick
The Eagles aren’t a potent offensive team, but their defense is opportunistic and stout up front. The Packers are a desperate team, but the Eagles defense is no slouch. Expect the Eagles to run the ball effectively with Wentz guiding the passing attack with efficiency. Rodgers will try to lead his team to victory, but expect one or two turnovers from the Packers offense to derail their attempt to get back on track.
Play: Eagles -4 @ BetOnline.ag
Eagles • NFL 2016 Monday Night Football • NFL 2016 Week 12 Betting Pick • Packers