San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers, Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI
Sunday, December 5, 2010, 1:00 pm EST, TV: FOX
Opening Line: Packers -9.5
Current Line: Packers -9.5
Opening Total: 41.5
Current Total: 41.5
Money Line: Packers -450 / 49ers +370
The San Francisco 49ers (4-7) have to win just about every game down the stretch if they want to win the NFC West and make the playoffs, and this road game against the Green Bay Packers (7-4) on Sunday could be their toughest test the rest of the way. The Packers (-9.5) are coming off their fourth three-point loss of the season last week at Atlanta and own a seven-game series winning streak against San Francisco dating back to the 1999.
Green Bay nearly pulled off the upset against the Falcons but gave up a big kickoff return and committed a costly facemask penalty following the game-tying 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to wide receiver Jordy Nelson with just under a minute remaining. That sequence gave Atlanta great field position and allowed Matt Ryan to put his team in perfect position to give kicker Matt Bryant an opportunity for the game-winning field goal. Ryan did just that and Bryant converted on a 47-yarder after the Pack tried icing him with a timeout.
Rodgers ended up throwing for 344 yards – his second straight 300-yard game – and he now has eight touchdown passes and no interceptions in the last four weeks. The problem is that Green Bay still has not generated enough balance offensively to help take pressure off him. Rodgers was the team’s leading rusher vs. Atlanta with 51 yards on 12 carries, and running back Brandon Jackson has not totaled more than 58 yards on the ground since Week 5 at Washington.
The 49ers could have had some serious issues running the ball as well if they did not have a rejuvenated Brian Westbrook ready to take over for All-Pro Frank Gore, who suffered a season-ending hip injury in a 27-6 win at Arizona on Monday night. Westbrook powered his way to 136 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries against the Cardinals after Gore got hurt while rookie Anthony Dixon added 54 yards on 14 attempts and another score.
San Francisco quarterback Troy Smith also improved to 3-1 as the starter by beating Arizona despite a mediocre performance. Smith threw for a season-low 129 yards with one touchdown and one interception a little more than one week after getting blanked by Tampa Bay at home.
The 49ers are 4-2 straight-up in their last six games but remain a disappointing team against the spread with a 2-4 mark during that stretch. The UNDER has cashed in three of their last four games along with three of four for the Packers, who are 5-1-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.
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