Buccaneers vs Packers Odds, Lines, and Spread for NFC Championship
- The Green Bay Packers are 3.5-point home favorites over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game at Lambeau Field
- Saturday/Sunday NFL betting record: 11-8; +1.95 units
- Warm-weather teams are 1-6 straight up all-time in NFL playoff games at Green Bay
What more could a football fan ask for than the spectacle that the NFC Championship Game between the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers is bringing on Sunday?
Two future Hall of Fame Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks and past NFL MVPs doing battle in Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers and Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady. The epic frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. Brady, seeking to add another notch to his already unparalleled career by becoming the first QB to lead his team to a Super Bowl appearance in their home stadium.
The hometown Packers are 3.5-point favorites, which is exactly where this betting line opened. Green Bay is 6-3 against the spread this season as the home chalk.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Green Bay Packers Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | +155 | +3.5 (-117) | O 51.5 (-113) |
| Green Bay Packers | -180 | -3.5 (-104) | U 51.5 (-108) |
Odds taken Jan. 22nd at DraftKings.
Sunday’s kickoff is slated for 3:05 PM EST. The weather forecast is projecting typical January Green Bay weather – snow, a temperature of 30 degrees, and 5 mph wind.
Hot vs Hotter
The Packers own the NFL’s longest active winning streak. Their 32-18 NFC Divisional Round win over the Los Angeles Rams was Green Bay’s seventh successive victory.
Aaron Rodgers to Tom Brady after the Packers’ 38-10 loss in Week 6:
“We’ll see you down the line.” pic.twitter.com/183obAuRKP
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) January 18, 2021
Right on their heels are the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay’s 30-20 NFC Divisional Round win on the road at New Orleans was the sixth straight for the Bucs. Four of those victories came on the road.
Packers Defense The Difference
Green Bay’s #1 NFL scoring offense (31.8 points per game), put up 32 points and 468 yards last week against the Rams, the top-rated NFL defense. This week, the Pack gets Tampa Bay’s 21st-ranked pass defense.
Rodgers led the NFL in TD passes (48), completion percentage (70.7), passer rating (121.5), and QBR (84.8). Wideout Davante Adams caught an NFL-high 18 TD passes.
Through the first 12 weeks of the 2020 NFL season the Green Bay Packers didn't have a single two game stretch of holding their opponent under 20 points.
They've held their opponents under 20 points for the past four games.
This is a legitimate Super Bowl caliber defense.
— PackersHistory.com (@PackersHistory1) January 17, 2021
The Bucs whipped the Packers 38-10 in October at Tampa Bay. However, Green Bay’s defense is now a far better unit. During the Pack’s seven-game win streak, the defense is allowing 18.4 PPG.
Also, this game is in Green Bay. The Packers are 8-1 SU at home this season.
Injury Report
Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard (wrist/back), who caught a 58-yard TD pass in the win over the Rams, is listed as questionable. On defense, linebackers Krys Barnes (thumb) and Za’Darius Smith (thumb) are also questionable.
Bruce Arians says WR Antonio Brown will miss Sunday’s NFC title game with a knee injury. pic.twitter.com/jwuobfJtt1
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) January 22, 2021
Tampa Bay is in rough shape at WR. Antonio Brown (knee) is out. Chris Godwin (hip/quad) and Mike Evans (knee) are questionable. Running back Ronald Jones II (finger/calf) is also questionable.
Defensively, questionable starters for the Bucs include LB Jason-Pierre Paul (knee), cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting (quad/ankle), and safety Jordan Whitehead (knee).
Trendspotting
Tampa Bay is seeking to become only the fifth NFL team to win three road playoff games in order to earn a trip to the Super Bowl. If they do so, the Bucs will make history. Super Bowl 55 is Feb. 7th at Tampa Bay’s Raymond James Stadium. No team has ever played in a Super Bowl game in their home stadium.
Tom Brady's now reached the conference championship game for the FOURTEENTH time in his 21-year career.
Unreal. @brgridiron pic.twitter.com/QHLp3cIWrL
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 18, 2021
The last time Tampa Bay played in the NFC Championship Game in 2002-03, the Bucs went on to win their only Super Bowl. When the Packers and Bucs last clashed in the NFL playoffs in 1997-98, Green Bay won a Divisional Round Game 21-7 en route to a Super Bowl appearance.
Last week’s loss by the Rams dropped warm-weather teams to 1-6 SU in road playoff games against the Pack. Green Bay is 1-4 SU in its last four NFC Championship Games.
Best Bet: Green Bay Packers -3.5 (-104), 1 unit
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
