Andrew Ortenberg
NFL
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The Green Bay Packers had a disappointing season in 2018. The year got off to a bad start with Aaron Rodgers getting injured all the way back in Week 1, they were never able to fully recover. Expectations were high because of Rodgers, but they watched as the Bears flew right past them in the division. It was a season full of turmoil that eventually resulted in the firing of longtime coach Mike McCarthy. They were up and down against the spread the entire year, but were down more often than not. They went 6-9-1 against the spread for the year, meaning fading them would’ve been pretty profitable. The overs were on fire to start their season, as the over cashed in five of their next six games. Their offense really regressed after that though, and the over went just 3-7 the rest of the way, finishing 8-8 for the year. Let’s dive deeper now on the Packers Betting Recap for the season.
Green Bay Packers Recap
There was a lot of optimism and excitement surrounding the team this season. They finally got rid of longtime defensive coordinator Dom Capers and replaced him with Mike Pettine, and the defense had a ton of intriguing talent like rookie cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson. The real reason people were excited though was the return of Rodgers. Rodgers missed nine games in 2017, which doomed the entire season. With Rodgers back fully healthy, the Packers were expected to make the playoffs again.
They had a thrilling Week 1 comeback victory over the Bears that looked like it was a sign of good things to come. Rodgers went down with a knee injury and the team was trailing 20-0 at one point. But he came back for the second half in a bulky brace and led the team on an incredible comeback run. It was all downhill from there though, as they tied the next week against the Vikings and then lost in Week 3 to the Redskins. Rodgers was still dealing with his MCL injury, which hampered him greatly. By the time he was fully recovered and no longer had to wear the brace, the season was already circling the drain.
The defense showed flashes, but never played up to its full potential as it dealt with injuries all year long. Rodgers ended up having one of the worst seasons of his career, and appeared visibly frustrated many times. They caught some tough breaks, as crucial fourth quarter fumbles against the Rams and Patriots cost them the opportunity for two potentially huge wins. After an extremely embarrassing home loss to the Cardinals where they lost as double digit favorites, McCarthy was finally let go.
McCarthy was shockingly let go during the middle of the season by the team he won a Super Bowl with, as it was clear his relationship with Rodgers had decayed to a point that was beyond repair. The team hired offensive guru and former Rams and Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur to replace him. LaFleur will at the very least bring some much-needed energy and excitement to the locker room, and his innovative schemes should revitalize Rodgers. They have the right coach of the future, and need
Super Bowl Or Bust?
The team will likely look mostly the same in terms of personnel next year. They have the right coach of the future, and need to maximize the remaining few years of Rodgers’ prime and exploit the window. It’s unclear exactly where the division odds and win totals will open, but considering there will be a ton of buzz around the LaFleur/Rodgers partnership, it’s fairly safe to expect they’ll be expected to finish above .500 next year. Currently they’re listed as 18/1 to win the Super Bowl, the eighth best odds of any team, in the earliest futures odds at BetOnline.
