New England Patriots vs Green Bay Packers Picks for Preseason – Which Starters are Playing & How to Watch
- The Green Bay Packers are 2.5-point home favorites over the New England Patriots in their NFL Preseason game on Saturday, August 19
- It’s their first preseason meeting since 2015
- They’ve split 14 previous NFL Preseason games 7-7 straight up. Who is the best bet this time around in the Patriots vs Packers odds?
The Green Bay Packers (1-0) and New England Patriots (0-1) share a similar legacy. Both are known for past Super Bowl success and currently, both are trying to move forward following the departure of legendary quarterbacks.
As they meet in Week 2 of the NFL Preseason, it’s the Packers, who are replacing Aaron Rodgers with Jordan Love, that oddsmakers are setting as 2.5-point home favorites in the Patriots vs Packers odds. Green Bay is 4-5 straight up at home in past NFL Preseason games against New England.
Read on as we break down our NFL preseason Patriots vs Packers prediction.
Patriots vs Packers Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | +120 | +2.5 (-110) | Over 37 (-110) |
| Green Bay Packers | -145 | -2.5 (-110) | Under 37 (-110) |
The Packers are being given an implied win probability of 56.3%. The total is set at 37 points. Each of the last four New England vs Green Bay NFL preseason games have gone under that total. These two clubs engaged in two days of spirited joint practices earlier this week.
Green Bay opened the NFL Preseason with a 36-19 road win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Meanwhile, the Patriots were throttled 20-9 at home by the Houston Texans. New England has lost its last two road preseason games. The Packers are 1-2 SU in their last three home preseason games.
Odds as of August 18th at BetMGM. Be sure top claim a BetMGM promo code to bet on Patriots vs Packers and other NFL preseason action this week.
Patriots vs Packers Betting Splits
There’s 53% of bets and 79% of the handle backing the underdog New England Patriots at +2.5 points in the New England vs Green Bay public betting splits on Saturday.
How to Watch Patriots vs Packers
Kickoff is set for 8:00 pm ET on Saturday, August 19 at Lambeau Field. The game is being broadcast live as part of the NFL package.
This will be the first NFL Preseason meeting between these two teams since 2015. Green Bay won that game 22-11 at New England. Home teams are 0-2 SU in the last two preseason games between the Patriots and Packers. The NFL odds show that overall, the Packers are 4-1 SU in the last five NFL Preseason games against the Patriots.
Which Packers Starters Will Play Saturday?
Green Bay GM Brian Gutekunst met with the media Friday, emphasizing two points. Firstly, he won’t be trading All-Pro tackle David Bakhtiari. There’s been rumblings that the New York Jets, seeking to beef up their offensive line to protect former Packers QB Rodgers, are making overtures about Bakhtiari.
#Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said today that they aren't going to trade LT David Bakhtiari, despite recent speculation.
“We’re not going to trade David, so let’s get that out of the way. It's not going to happen." pic.twitter.com/p0NRaHICgY
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 18, 2023
The second point was that you should anticipate seeing more Love from the Packers during the preseason. The new QB1 in Green Bay saw duty for two series last week against the Bengals, leading a touchdown drive. With plenty of changes in their first-string offense this season, Gutekunst thinks it’s vital that they get Love and the rest of the starters game time during preseason play.
About the only starter who won’t be playing is Bakhtiari. The club is being overly cautious with his oft-injured left knee and he’s yet to see any preseason action.
Patriots Dominate Second Practice vs Packers
While Green Bay certainly was the better team in the first joint practice session between the two squads this week, New England dominated both sides of the ball on Day 2.
Offensively, QB1 Mac Jones was 14-of-17 through the air. That performance was including a 50-yard TD pass to DeVante Packer during a two-minute drill. Yes, as Allen Iverson would certainly remind us, we’re talking about practice. But as Jones still seeks to escape the looming shadow of Tom Brady, any positive development is good news for the Patriots.
Coming through 😤@EzekielElliott | #ForeverNE pic.twitter.com/gxpwv1pTjA
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 18, 2023
Which Patriots Starters Will Play Saturday?
Jones didn’t play at all in the loss to Houston, but is expected to see limited action against the Packers. But if you’re thinking about playing some NFL props at one of the top NFL betting apps, Bailey Zappe and Malik Cunningham will see the most duty under center. Cunningham was the scorer of New England’s lone TD last week.
It’s unlikely that either Rhamondre Stevenson or newly-signed Ezekiel Elliott will see any playing time at RB.
Patriots vs Packers Best Bets
The Patriots have a new offensive coordinator in former Houston coach Bill O’Brien. Green Bay is breaking in a new starting QB.
It’s expected that the Packers will be playing their starters for much of the opening quarter and they’ll want to put on a show for the Lambeau faithful. New England couldn’t score points at home last week against the Texans. Meanwhile Green Bay put up 36 points on the road against a Cincinnati team which arguably could have the NFL’s deepest roster.
Patriots vs Packers Picks: Green Bay Packers -2.5 (-110)
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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.
