The Green Bay Packers might be having a tumultuous offseason, but they finished 2020 strong. In Head Coach Matt LaFleur’s second season he led the team to a record of 13-3, the same as 2019. In 2020, we also saw quarterback Aaron Rodgers win the NFL MVP Award for his spectacular season. This all led to the Packers winning the NFC North in 2020, easily and heading into the NFL playoffs.
After a commanding victory over the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, Green Bay head to the NFC Championship. There, much like the Buffalo Bills in the AFC, is where the Packers were stopped. They faced Tom Brady and his new Tampa Bay Buccaneers and lost 31-26. To add insult to injury, the Buccaneers went onto beat the Kansas City Chiefs and became Super Bowl champions.
2021 Green Bay Packers Futures Betting Odds
Green Bay Packers Super Bowl Champion Odds: +1600
Green Bay Packers NFC Champion Odds: +800
Green Bay Packers Win Totals Odds: Over 10.5 (-115), Under 10.5 (-115)
Green Bay Packers Odds to win NFC North: -121
Overall, just based on their performance over the last two seasons, it makes Green Bay a great bet for the playoffs. However, all of their success hinges on whether the former MVP will play this season. Aaron Rodgers has had issues with the front office in Green Bay over the last two seasons leading to this rift. At this point, it’s hard to be certain as to whether or not the superstar will play. It is good news to Green Bay fans though that Rodgers didn’t use the Covid-19 opt-out available to him.
In 2020, the Packers were a nearly unstoppable team in the NFC North standings. They went 5-1 in the division, with a sole loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings pose the only real threat to them in the NFC North. However, if Rodgers is on the field, the NFC North is a lock. The difference between these two teams is at quarterback. The Vikings have Kirk Cousins, a solid quarterback sure, but not an MVP. Rodgers led his team to multiple NFC North titles; if he plays, it’s the safest bet you can make.
2021 Green Bay Packers Offseason Grade: C+
Key Additions: (CB, Eric Stokes), (WR, Amari Rodgers), (C, Josh Meyers)
Key Departures: (DL, Anthony Rush), (WR, Jake Kumerow), (OL, Alex Light)
The Packers, in terms of additions, focused on the NFL Draft. This makes sense; there weren’t many free-agent options across the board worth pursuing. They landed CB Eric Stokes, a strong defensive back from Georgia. They also tried to get another weapon for Rodgers on the field in wide receiver Amari Rodgers. The only problem was, they irritated Rodgers by releasing his good friend, Jake Kumerow.
Although it might sound petty, Aaron Rodgers saw this as the front office still not listening to him. He began taking trips around the world instead of being concerned with OTA’s. The media got ahold of the story and ran with it. It made it even more real when Aaron Rodgers made no comments on training camp. Over the offseason, the Packers should’ve made a better attempt to use Rodgers for recruiting. We’ve seen players across the league do this. For instance, A.J Brown of the Tennessee Titans recruited Julio Jones to the roster. This has been Aaron’s problem with the organization, and it started with the drafting of Jordan Love, two years ago.
Green Bay Packers 2021 Preview
The Packers are in great shape to do well this season, providing Rodgers is taking the snap. That isn’t to say Jordan Love doesn’t have potential but the Packers signed Blake Bortles as well. That leads us to believe they don’t think Love is ready to take the mantle of Packers’ starting quarterback.
This means you’ll have to monitor the offseason for any updates on Rodgers. If he returns to the team, you can expect a similar season like 2020. If not, expect the Packers to regress a bit this year as they figure out the quarterback situation. Signs are looking good for Green Bay, though, as Rodgers hasn’t used any of the opt-out options available to him, yet.
Green Bay Packers Futures Best Bets
As stated above, this is all reliant on Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay will be the best pick to take the NFC North this year if he plays. Lean towards the team only winning at most ten games, and take the under on the 2021 NFL win total. The offense will have some learning to do early on in the season, with Rodgers missing portions of the training camp. A risky bet, but one that could pay off is the Packers winning the NFC Championship. They’re definitely contenders if last year’s MVP is under center.
Read our guide on betting NFL win totals to crush your futures bets this season.
