Simulation Picks
Maximize Your Odds of Winning with SportsLine Model and Our Top-Rated Picks!
Maximize Your Odds of Winning with SportsLine Model and Our Top-Rated Picks!
Maximize Your Odds of Winning with SportsLine Model and Our Top-Rated Picks!
Understanding Public and Money
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Expert Picks
Davante Adams and Allen Lazard are active for the Packers, and Aaron Rodgers finally gets a game back in a dome after seeing the Packers offense limited by extreme weather. The Colts defense is great, and Indianapolis deserves the respect of being favored in this game, but it is being overvalued based on last week’s result. Green Bay is going to open things up, and it’s going to be tough for Phillip Rivers and the Colts offense to match what Rodgers and the Packers do on Sunday. Unless this is a multi-turnover game, Green Bay wins outright.
A downgraded strength of schedule for Green Bay plays into the hands of the Colts. Defensively, they rank second in the NFL, allowing an average of fewer than 200 passing yards per game. Expect Packers QB Aaron Rodgers to press after a few miscues and the Colts to pound the football with an underrated ground game. Take Indianapolis.
The Colts allow a league-low 290.4 yards per game and they rank fourth in points allowed (19.7). Offensively, Indy is not explosive and its 34-17 win over Tennessee last week was a bit misleading. Indy scored on special teams, which is unlikely to happen again. Go Under.
With Davante Adams and Jaire Alexander avoiding final injury tags on Friday, the Packers are the more talented team in this matchup. Adams is one of the best receivers in football, while Alexander ranks as Pro Football Focus' No. 1 cornerback on the season. Each can provide problems for a Colts team that struggles against good secondaries (19 points vs. Bears, 10 points vs. Ravens) and quality receivers, though they haven't been tested by anyone nearly as good as Adams this year. We're getting great value off the lookahead line, which had the Packers favored, and the final score in Green Bay's win over Jacksonville was a bit of a mirage. I love getting points with the Packers in this matchup.
The Colts are winning nearly 60 percent of my simulations. They had extra rest after winning on Thursday in Week 10. Their stout defense will make it tough on a Packers team that has looked shaky two of the past three weeks. Lay the small number.
This is a great matchup between the Packers' offense and Colts' defense. Let's say there is a stalemate there - the focus then turns to whether or not Indianapolis' offense can be successful against Green Bay's defense. We know the Packers are an opportunistic bunch on that side of the ball, but I liked what I saw offensively from the Colts against Tennessee. They showed much more versatility and diversity in their scheme, enough to where I can trust them in this game.
It's time to admit the Colts are good. Frank Reich is an excellent coach, they have a strong offensive line and the defense is playing very well. Indy is solid on both lines of scrimmage. I like the way Philip Rivers is playing lately, while the Packers have been unimpressive in two of their last three outings.