Online Betting Overview How good is the Green Bay Packers? Can the Packers go 16-0? Can the Packers go 19-0 for the first time in NFL history and repeat as Super Bowl champions? The answer to the first question is “the best team football” and the answer to the last two questions is “yes.” But the more pertinent question is “Will the Packers go 16-0?” The answer to that question is no. The Packers have the best team in football, but even the Packers are susceptible to let downs. The San Diego Chargers are the perfect team to beat the Packers for the first time this season. If the Packers are not careful, this game could be the start of a downward slide. The price per head San Diego Chargers are just disorganized enough to beat a team like the Packers at home. As with last season, the Chargers have one of the top ranked offenses in football and a top ranked defense as well. The Chargers have lost two games in a row, but each loss was by six points or less. Quarterback Philip Rivers is on a pace to throw for between 4,500 and 5,000 yards this season. The problem for Rivers is that he is great between the 20-yard lines, but he cannot get the ball in the endzone. Rivers only has seven touchdown passes this season. If the San Diego offense suddenly clicks in the red zone in this game, it could be a San Diego blow out. Green Bay Packers When you take a real pay per head look at the Green Bay Packers, you can start to see areas of weakness. For example, the Green Bay Packers’ defense is ranked 28th overall and 31st against the pass. You may want to re-read that statement because it is true, and it is hard to believe that a team could be playing such horrible defense and still be 7-0. So what keeps the Packers winning? The answer is quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Packers’ offense is first in average points scored per game and third in the league in average passing yards for game. But Green Bay is 24th in the league in rushing. It is the same combination of weak defense and no running game that the Packers rode to the Super Bowl last year. The Chargers’ defense is more than capable of shutting Rodgers down. If San Diego can do that, then it could be a long day for Green Bay. San Diego Chargers At some point, a Bodog review of the Chargers’ performance the past few seasons will result in the firing of head coach Norv Turner. The Chargers consistently post a top NFL offense and defense but cannot maintain a winning season. San Diego lacks the discipline necessary to avoid costly penalties, the special teams are terrible and quarterback Philip Rivers is not a believer in the Norv Turner system. But for one game, to make an impact on a national television audience, the Chargers can pull it together and take down the Packers. The Bottom Line If the Packers were a solid all-around football team that had few weaknesses then it would be easy to see Green Bay finishing 16-0. But the NFL fans in San Diego can see the weaknesses in the Packers, and those fans know that their team can hand the Packers its first loss of the season. Pick: San Diego Chargers
