Packers’ Odds to Win NFC North Improve to -140 After Beating Lions
- Green Bay is now the favorite to win the NFC North
- Questionable officiating has dropped the Lions into last place in the division
- Each team in division has chance at the playoffs
Looking at the NFC North Division standings, parity among the four NFL franchises certainly resonates.
It’s probably not a stretch to say that the NFC North is the best division in football. Packers, Vikings, Lions and Bears. Oh My! Cheesy? Maybe. However, Green Bay players and fans alike are called Cheeseheads for a reason.
Speaking of the Packers, they now happen to be the odds-on favorites to win the division. Down 13-0 in the first half, the Packers utilized every second of their Monday Night Football thriller against the Detroit Lions to declare themselves the victors, 23-22 as Mason Crosby drilled the game winning, walk-off 23 yard field goal as time expired.
NFL divisional odds listed the Packers’ odds to win the NFC North entering Week 6 at -120, while currently they’re slightly shorter at -140. With Week 7 looming, I don’t believe that there’s value betting them at this price.
Odds to Win NFC North
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | -140 |
| Minnesota Vikings | +275 |
| Chicago Bears | +550 |
| Detroit Lions | +900 |
*Odds taken October 15/10/19
Referees Packing It In
In a critical situation on a third down late in the game, Rodgers was sacked by a hungry Lion defense.
The result should’ve had Detroit getting the football back after a Green Bay punt. Instead, Trey Flowers was flagged for a phantom illegal hands to the face call.
Green Bay would score a touchdown on that same drive, as Aaron Rodgers found wide receiver Allen Lazard on a dime to the corner of the end zone. The score was now 22-20 with Detroit barely hanging on to the lead.
Nearing the end of the fourth quarter, the Cheeseheads had one last chance to score a TD or win the game with a FG. Again, another absurd call on Flowers for illegal hands to the face changed the dynamic yet again.
oh my god the refs bailed out Green Bay with a nonexistent hands-to-the-face penalty on third-and-long FOR THE SECOND TIME THIS QUARTER
(both on Trey Flowers, good lord) pic.twitter.com/Hg3k0OxS3L
— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) October 15, 2019
Every angle clearly showed that Flowers had one hand grasping the upper jersey and shoulder pad area of Green Bay’s left tackle. We got the opportunity to see these plays in slow-motion while watching on television, but the refs were near both plays.
If they were unable to determine the actual infraction, why throw a flag in both instances?
Who’s the Best Bet?
With Detroit dropping to 2-2-1 with the loss, the division is still wide open in my eyes.
The Minnesota Vikings are 4-2, Kirk Cousins and wide receiver Stefon Diggs are in-sync again, they have a very good running game and a stout defense to go with it. There’s no reason to think that the Vikings can’t win the NFC North by regular-season’s end.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears are 3-2. After dislocating his left shoulder in Week 4 against the Vikings, QB Mitchell Trubisky should be ready for a Week 7 return against the New Orleans Saints.
What about Detroit? Franchise QB Matthew Stafford can’t do everything; however, he has some help this season. A viable running game, playmakers galore at WR for Stafford and a more than formidable defense.
Let’s face the facts. The Lions got their hearts ripped out due to blown calls by the refs on Monday night. I truly believe that they bounce back from this one with Stafford at the forefront, and inevitably win the NFC North this season.
My Pick: Detroit Lions (+900)
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