Packers Open as 3.5-Point Favorites in Opening Odds for 2021 NFC Championship
- The Green Bay Packers will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game
- The Packers have opened as a 3.5-point favorite for this contest
- Which way will the betting odds shift by the time the game kicks off?
The Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to meet in the NFC Championship Game. The Packers have opened as a 3.5-point favorite as they’ll play host to the Bucs at Lambeau Field. The Bucs won the regular season meeting 38-10 but can they win again?
Let’s take a closer look at this matchup and which way the odds will move ahead of kickoff at 3:05 pm ET on Sunday.
Buccaneers vs Saints Opening Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | +180 | +3.5 (-110) | 51.0 (-110) |
| Green Bay Packers | -210 | -3.5 (-110) | 51.0 (-110) |
All odds as of Jan 17th at FanDuel
Packers Take Care Of Rams
The Rams came into Saturday’s affair with the Packers banged up and the injuries appeared to be too difficult to overcome. With Aaron Donald far from 100%, the defense that led the NFL in yards-per-game allowed (281.9) and points (18.5) was gashed for 484 yards and 32 points.
The Packers have a lot to be happy about after their effort in the Divisional Round – including the ground game, which produced 188 yards and a pair of touchdowns. That helped the Packers hang onto the ball for 36:12, which was nearly 13 minutes more than the Rams.
wow, Aaron Rodgers' postgame interview was savage pic.twitter.com/Meu5zSKo9S
— Pick Six Podcast (@picksixpod) January 17, 2021
Now they’ll get a rematch against the Bucs, who were just one of three teams to beat the Packers in the regular season. Aaron Rodgers had a terrible game in that contest, so for him to lead the Packers to the Super Bowl, he’ll have to exorcise some demons.
Bucs Avoid Turnovers, Edge Saints
The Bucs and Saints squared off twice in the regular season and the Saints won easily both times. One of the main reasons for that was because the Bucs turned over the ball six times in the two contests; they had just 11 giveaways in their other 14 contests. The script flipped on Sunday when the two teams met a third time as the Bucs were far more careful with the football.
Tampa Bay’s offense didn’t have a great day in terms of production as they finished with just 316 total yards. However, they finished with a zero in the turnover department, while the Saints offense coughed it up four times. That proved to be the difference in the Bucs 30-20 win.
Third time's a charm 😎 pic.twitter.com/JZso3rsyVh
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 18, 2021
Tom Brady was just 18-of-33 for 199 yards, two touchdowns and no picks. But considering he had just two touchdowns and five interceptions in the two regular season meetings, playing a clean game was enough. He’ll likely have to do more than that this weekend if the Bucs are to win in Green Bay.
Which Way Will The Line Move?
Brady and the Bucs are likely to get a lot of love in this spot – especially since they’re an underdog. The Bucs won the regular season meeting 38-10 and the prospect of that happening again is going to attract bettors. Also, Brady as an underdog is likely to draw some attention too.
Don’t be surprise if this line closes in the neighborhood of Tampa Bay +3 come kickoff.
For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He's interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Floyd Mayweather.
