Green Bay Packers vs. New England Patriots NFL Free Pick for Week 15

The Packers are facing their biggest hurdle, arguably in the last two decades for the franchise. QB Aaron Rodgers suffered his second concussion of the year last week in a despicable 7-3 loss to the Detroit Lions, and all week, the question has been whether or not he is going to play this week. That looks like it’s going to remain a question right up until this one kicks off on Sunday night. If Rodgers can’t go, it will be the first time since QB Brett Favre took the reins over from QB Don Majkowski in 1992 that the Packers are going to be calling on a backup quarterback to start a game. The only good news for Green Bay in this one is that its defense ranks No. 1 in the NFL in scoring at 14.5 points per game and that four of the team’s last six foes have been held to seven points or fewer. That unit might need to play virtually perfect ball for a second straight week if the Packers have any hopes of getting into the playoffs. A loss in this one isn’t fatal, but it certainly does put the team in a very compromising position, a game back of at least one, and probably two teams, with just two to play.

The Patriots don’t have to worry about anything of the sorts, as they already know that they are headed to the postseason. If the NFL odds hold true and the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the New York Jets earlier in the day, New England will enter this one as the AFC East champs with three games to play. That’s a foregone conclusion at this point, but the Pats have their eye on a bigger prize: The No. 1 overall seed in the AFC playoffs. We already know that New England has to lose a game at some point at home to be knocked from its perch, but a Pittsburgh loss parlayed with a Pats win on Sunday night gets the job done. It’s clear that this is strength vs. strength here, as the New England offense is the most feared in the game in spite of the fact that the only real “name” on the unit is that of QB Tom Brady, the soon to be two time MVP of the league. Brady has been fantastic this year, throwing for 3,398 yards with 29 TDs against four picks.

This is quite the interesting game, as we are wondering what the oddsmakers are going to do with the NFL lines in this one. However, whether Rodgers plays or not, we tend to believe that the Green Bay defense is going to be the key. You know that Head Coach Mike McCarthy is going to have his team fighting for its life, and you also know that that aura and great play of late for the Patriots is going to inflate this line one way or the other when it comes out. You’ll probably be catching a boatload of points. Be sure to take them all.