Coming into the 2016 season the Green Bay Packers were hailed as the clear cut favorite for fans’ bet on NFL Super Bowl predictions. But now entering Week 4, Green Bay doesn’t even find themselves atop the NFC North, let alone favorites for the Super Bowl. After a Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings the Packers fell to the second spot in the NFC North. In that contest the Packers performed extremely poor and in fact, their performance raised questions regarding Green Bay’s offense. Last year, Packers fans had to deal with a team that just couldn’t find their groove offensively. Many thought the return of Jordy Nelson would bring a new day for this offense, but Nelson’s return hasn’t been as rewarding as expected. As things stand now, the Packers rank 29th in the league for passing yards per contest with 193.3. They also rank 28th in the NFL for total yards gained per contest with 293.7. Those figures don’t exactly scream ‘Super Bowl contender’ and the odds makers have taken this into account. Take a look:
Week 4 – Odds to Win Super Bowl LI (courtesy of SBGGlobal.eu)
New England Patriots +395
Green Bay Packers +820
Arizona Cardinals +925
Minnesota Vikings +1350
Carolina Panthers +1375
The Patriots find themselves as the heavy favorite to win this year’s Super Bowl. Which comes as no surprise after seeing how well the team has been playing these first three weeks – even without their future Hall of Famer quarterback. Once Brady returns under center, most gambling fans will be taking their bet on NFL games to New England. The Patriots have looked very dominant this season and currently rank 1st in the league in rushing yards per game. Defensively the Pats have been just as dominant and currently rank 5th in the league with points allowed per game. With that in mind, it’s easy to see why the Patriots are the frontrunners to win the title this year.
Just like the Packers, the Panthers haven’t been as impressive as anticipated. Now that Carolina has fallen to 1-2, three other NFC teams have climbed the odds. The Broncos showed the NFL that if you’re able to bang Newton up, then you have a very solid chance of beating the Panthers. Newton has already been sacked 12 times this season, and unless Carolina can improve their pass protection they will likely miss out of the Super Bowl, and maybe even the postseason.
It is surprising to see the Cardinals, who have a 1-2 record, being listed above the undefeated Vikings. While it pains me to say it, the Vikings have been impressive this year. Minnesota has already beaten the Packers and the Panthers this year – the two teams considered to be the best in the NFC in 2015. If they can beat out the best teams in their conference, then who will stop the Vikings from making it all the way to the Super Bowl.
Despite having such poor offensive numbers the Packers are still the second favorite to win the Super Bowl. While the passing game is still facing issues, it seems the running game is off to a good start. Right now the Packers are averaging 100.3 yards per game on the ground, which ranks them 17th in the league. Defensively, the Packers have been great against the run. Heading into their Bye Week, Green Bay’s defense is currently the best in the league against the run, with an average of 42.7 rushing yards allowed per game. Stopping the run is crucial to finding success in the NFL, especially in the postseason. If the Packers can keep improving on defense, as well as find their rhythm on offense, then there will be no better pick for your bet on NFL Super Bowl predictions.