NEW ORLEANS vs. GREEN BAY (GB -14, 42.5)
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SAINTS @ PACKERS 12/23/24
It's a thrilling time for fans of the Green Bay Packers as their football team edges closer to securing their place in the playoffs. A victory against the New Orleans Saints (5-9) on Monday could seal the deal and further boost the Packers' (10-4) seeding prospects. Regardless, Green Bay's focus is not the playoffs, as stated by head coach Matt LaFleur, but rather on enhancing its performance and the mission to win games.
With the results of yesterday’s games, all the Packers have to do to secure a playoff spot is win tonight. Currently, Green Bay owns the No. 6 seed in the NFC. Detroit and Minnesota are both 13-2 atop the NFC North Division. The two teams play in the final week of the season. The winner will be the NFC’s No. 1 seed. The loser will go to No. 5.
Recent performances have been promising, with Green Bay winning eight of its last ten games. However, they’ve experienced losses against their division nemesis Detroit and Minnesota. In the upcoming weeks, the Packers will face off against the Vikings – a rematch from their Week 4 loss – and will conclude their season against the Bears, currently at the bottom of the table.
It’s worth mentioning that Packers QB Jordan Love has been performing remarkably, with seven touchdowns and zero interceptions in his last four games. Josh Jacobs too has shown outstanding productivity, being the third-highest in the NFL for both rushing yards (1,147) and carries (265).
The Saints lost their most recent game, a 20-19 home defeat against the Washington Commanders. That leaves New Orleans 5-9 on the season. After yesterday’s NFL action, the Saints are now officially eliminated from playoff contention. The Saints haven't reached the playoffs since 2020.
The Saints' rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler showed potential in the loss to Washington. If Derek Carr can’t go tonight, Rattler will get the start. Meanwhile, the team's top rusher Alvin Kamara is likely to miss Monday's game due to a groin injury.
Interim head coach Darren Rizzi, despite acknowledging his team's injuries and setbacks, remains optimistic, emphasizing that the only barrier to an individual player's best performance was the player himself.
In addition to these developments, the Saints have more to be concerned about. Several key players, including Chase Young, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Bub Means, missed practice on Thursday due to various health issues. The Packers are dealing with their own injuries. Starters Javon Bullard and Quay Walker were absent from Thursday’s practice due to ankle injuries.
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COACH RICK Free PICK
JORDAN LOVE UNDER 6.5 RUSHING YARDS
Love has been playing through an ankle injury. He’s not as mobile and he really won’t need to be tonight. With the Packers favored by two touchdowns, this game shouldn’t be close. Green Bay will likely run the ball quite a bit with Josh Jacobs who carried the ball 26 times last week. Love has gone Under this number in 3 of his last 4 games and he’s only cleared this prop 4 times this season. With Green Bay ahead, there may also be a few kneel downs at the end of the half and/or game and there is a possibility that Love gives way to Malik Willis with a huge lead.