The
Lions and Packers have shared a division for nearly a century, facing each
other at least twice in every non-strike season since 1934. The most recent
meeting saw Detroit win the 2022 regular-season finale 20-16 on a cold Sunday night
in Green Bay, denying Aaron Rodgers a chance to close out his green-and-gold
tenure with a playoff appearance. As the rivalry gets renewed with another
prime-time tilt at Lambeau Field, it’s the new Packers signal-caller who
garners our support for top prop:
The
bet: Over 16½ rushing yards for Packers quarterback Jordan Love (FanDuel)
Prior
to this year, Love’s only professional start came when Rodgers was sidelined by
COVID for Week 9 of the 2021 season. He acquitted himself fairly well in the
13-7 loss to the Chiefs, throwing his first touchdown pass and rushing for 23
yards on five carries.
Love
has likewise cleared this total in his last two games. After again posting 23
yards in a loss to the Falcons, he set new career highs while beating the
Saints on Sunday, running nine times for 39 yards. His only start falling short
of this number was when he finished with 12 yards in the opener, but he didn’t
need to do much on the ground against the woeful Bears.
Another
close game is expected in this matchup with the Lions, who have continued last
year’s trend of being generous to scrambling quarterbacks. They allowed 45 rushing
yards to the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes in the Kickoff Game and then 20 to the
Seahawks’ Geno Smith in Week 2.
With
Rookie of the Year Aidan Hutchinson and his Detroit teammates providing a heavy
pass rush, Love will look to escape the pressure and should gain enough yardage with his
legs to get us home.