The Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers have a history of close late-season contests. Another one could be in store on Saturday night when they meet in a primetime showcase at Lambeau Field. The Packers already have clinched the NFC North but need a victory to remain the frontrunner for the top seed in the NFC playoff picture alongside the New Orleans Saints. The clubs have split their last eight meetings, while five of the past six have been decided by eight points or fewer. Last year, Green Bay used a late goal-line stand to preserve a 24-16 victory over Carolina.
Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET from Lambeau Field. Green Bay is an 8.5-point favorite and the over-under for total points scored is 52.5 in the latest Packers vs. Panthers odds from William Hill Sportsbook after opening at 50. Before locking in any Panthers vs. Packers picks, make sure you see the latest NFL predictions from SportsLine's proven projection model.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up almost $7,900 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception five-plus years ago. It is a sizzling 22-11 on top-rated NFL picks this season, returning more than $800. The model also enters Week 15 on an incredible 118-76 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season.
The model ranked in the Top 10 on NFLPickWatch in three of the past four years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 95 percent of CBS Sports office pool players three times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
Now, the model has set its sights on Packers vs. Panthers. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the NFL betting odds from William Hill and the latest trends for Panthers vs. Packers:
- Packers vs. Panthers spread: Packers -8.5
- Packers vs. Panthers over-under: 52.5 points
- Packers vs. Panthers money line: Green Bay -420, Carolina +340
- CAR: Panthers are 7-1 against the spread in their last eight games as underdogs
- GB: Home team has covered five straight meetings in this series
Why the Packers can cover
The Packers were widely expected to regress from last year's 13-win season based in large part on analytics that suggested their record was at least as much attributed to good fortune as it was solid play on the field. For instance, their 63-point score differential was among the lowest in NFL history over the past 30 years. For many observers, this motion was confirmed amid their 37-20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in last year's NFC title game.
However, with three games remaining, Green Bay's point differential of 87 already is well ahead of last year's pace and the Packers appear to be putting a better product on the field.
Naturally, much of the credit is attributed to a career year from quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who leads the NFL in touchdown passes with 39 and is completing a career-high 69.6 percent of his throws. Green Bay ranks second in third-down conversions (49.7) and is tops in red-zone efficiency (77.1 percent).
Why the Panthers can cover
Many football observers were wary when the Panthers announced they had hired Matt Rhule as coach and gave him a whopping $62 million contract over seven seasons. The compensation put him among the top five salaries without ever having coached a down in the league.
Rhule's contract was widely seen as a matter of limited supply meeting greater demand and perhaps an overreaction to the coach's rising star based on his turnaround of the Temple and Baylor programs in the college ranks. But the Panthers' brass insisted they had the right guy, and early returns suggest they were correct.
The Panthers said goodbye to franchise icons like Cam Newton, Greg Olsen and Luke Kuechly, but an almost completely reworked roster was instantly competitive and they reeled off wins in three of their first five games. Two of their four wins on the season have come on the road.
How to make Packers vs. Panthers picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, as both quarterbacks throw for close to 300 yards in the simulations. It also says one side of the spread hits more than 50 percent of the time. You can only get that pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Panthers vs. Packers on Saturday? And which side of the spread cashes in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Packers vs. Panthers spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up almost $7,900 on its top-rated NFL picks, and find out.
