NFC Wild Card Playoffs
Green Bay Packers (6) at Philadelphia Eagles (3), Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
Sunday, January 9, 2011, 4:30 pm EST, TV: FOX
Opening Line: Eagles -2.5
Current Line: Eagles -2.5
Opening Total: 46
Current Total: 46
Money Line: Eagles -140 / Packers +120
The last time the Green Bay Packers (10-6) visited the Philadelphia Eagles (10-6), they lost starting running back Ryan Grant for the season to a knee injury. But the Packers still escaped Philly with a 27-20 in the season opener as a late rally by Michael Vick fell short.
Vick had replaced injured starting quarterback Kevin Kolb for the Eagles (-2.5), and the rest is pretty much history. Kolb suffered a concussion against the Packers, giving Vick the opportunity he needed to win the job for the rest of the year. Vick threw for 175 yards and a touchdown while running for 103 more yards, but Green Bay’s defense denied him in the end.
Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers admitted that he did not have much of a game plan then for Vick, which obviously will not be the case this time around. Teams like the New York Giants, Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings have since provided Capers with enough of a blueprint to disrupt Vick and make him uncomfortable.
Philadelphia ended up dropping its last two games of the regular season – both at home – after clinching the NFC East, including a 24-14 shocker against the Vikings that cost the team a shot at the #2 seed. Minnesota’s defense gave Vick fits, picking him off once, forcing him to fumble twice and sacking him six times. Vick sustained a quad injury that kept him out of last week’s 14-13 loss to Dallas and has claimed he will be back to 100 percent for this playoff game.
Green Bay’s defense is even better, led by Pro Bowlers Charles Woodson and Clay Matthews. The Packers ranked second in the NFL in points allowed, giving up just 15 per game. They also own one of the league’s best secondaries featuring Woodson and Tramon Williams, who form arguably the best pair of cornerbacks. They helped hold opposing quarterbacks to just 194.2 passing yards per game and anchored a pass defense that ranked second with 24 interceptions.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers leads a one-dimensional offense for Green Bay that has missed Grant ever since he went down in the first game. Rodgers is still searching for his first career playoff win after nearly rallying his team back last year at Arizona in an eventual 51-45 overtime loss. He threw for a career-high 423 yards and four touchdowns with one interception and hopes to end a four-game road losing streak in the playoffs for the Pack.
The Eagles have covered seven of the last 10 meetings with Green Bay, going 6-4 straight-up in those games. The UNDER has cashed in seven of the last eight meetings.
Now that you have read this NFC wild card playoff betting preview featuring the Eagles & Packers, check out the NFL odds on this and all the games to compare the best lines at multiple sportsbooks.
