Green Bay Packers vs. Baltimore Ravens Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 12/19/2021

by Chuck Sommers

Wednesday, Dec 15, 2021
Game time: 4:25 p.m. ET
Venue: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD
Where to watch: FOX

Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks


DraftKings: Packers -5
BetMGM: Packers -4.5
Caesars: Packers -5.5

Season record
Packers: 10-3 (1st place, NFC North)
Ravens: 8-5 (1st place, AFC North)

A strong 6-2 week for Sean Murphy in this past Sunday’s slate of games. With two Saturday games and more on the horizon, what can this crucial week hold as we enter the final month of the regular season? Catch Murph’s plays, available right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers.

Packers - Ravens preview and analysis


Last week
Packers: won 45-30 vs. Bears
Ravens: lost 24-22 at Browns

Even with a toe injury that may or may not be COVID related and may or may not need surgery, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers keep trucking along in a crowded NFC race.

It’s only a matter of time before the Packers clinch the NFC North again, but a run at the Super Bowl one more time is on the minds of Rodgers and co., and a big Sunday game against the Baltimore Ravens kickstarts the final month of the season for both teams.

The Packers’ offense is coming off one of its better games last week against the Chicago Bears, putting up 45 points and overcoming some errors that led to 28 points for the road team. But Rodgers, who has put ownership on the Bears before, did it again with 341 yards and four touchdowns in the win. Davante Adams caught 10 passes for 121 yards and two of those touchdowns.

Rodgers surpassed Brett Favre with 61 touchdown passes against the Bears.

"It does mean a lot to me," Rodgers said. "It really does. The majority of stats don't mean much, but this rivalry does mean a lot to me because I'm almost an adult in Green Bay — I've lived here for 17 years and started for 14. I know how much this rivalry means to our fans, and to be a part of it has been really special."

A lot of the discussion has gone to Rodgers and his MVP case, and rightfully so, but Adams has slowly reminded many that he might be the best receiver in the league right now. He needs 10 catches and 96 more yards for his third season of at least 100 receptions and 1,300 yards.

Green Bay’s defense has also been solid to this point, posting a top-10 defense in both yards (323.6) and points allowed (20.9). The last three weeks has seen some cracks in the armor by allowing at least 28 points in those games, but the play against the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks has helped in that number.

The defense will be put to the test this weekend against the Ravens, although Baltimore should be lucky it’s still in first place in the AFC North. Despite losing 24-22 to the Cleveland Browns last week, the Ravens were given a huge gift by way of the Cincinnati Bengals losing to the San Francisco 49ers.

The question is whether Lamar Jackson will be ready to go. The star quarterback is dealing with a sprained ankle that kept him out of Baltimore’s loss; Tyler Huntley relieved Jackson for a second time this season, throwing for 270 yards and a touchdown in the near-comeback loss.

"When Lamar went down, I started becoming more aware of the situation," said Huntley, who started for an ill Jackson on Nov. 21 at Chicago. "I knew at that moment I had to lock in. And after that fumble, I was very locked in because I couldn't make any more mistakes."

Baltimore has covered three of its last four after going 0-3 ATS in its previous three. This will be the second straight week the Ravens have been underdogs. The last time they were underdogs before that was Oct. 3 against the Denver Broncos.

Prediction


I’m not sure if this will keep up for Rodgers for as long as he prolongs this toe injury, but it’s working well enough to keep the Packers rolling. If Jackson isn’t 100 percent, this is perfect pickings for Green Bay. Packers by 8

Betting trends


The Packers are 12-3 ATS following a division game.

The Packers are 5-1 ATS as a road favorite between 3.5 and 7 points.

The Packers are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 after scoring 35 or more the previous game.

The Ravens are 8-2 ATS as an underdog in their last 10.

Statistical leaders


Packers:
Passing: Aaron Rodgers – 3,219 yards, 27 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: AJ Dillon – 614 yards, 2 TD
Receiving: Davante Adams – 1,204 yards, 7 TD
Defense: Preston Smith – 7 sacks

Ravens:
Passing: Lamar Jackson – 2,882 yards, 16 TD, 13 INT
Rushing: Lamar Jackson – 767 yards, 2 TD
Receiving: Mark Andrews – 926 yards, 6 TD
Defense: Tyus Bowser – 5.5 sacks

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Chuck Sommers

About the Author:

Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.

All photographic images used for editorial content have been licensed from the Associated Press.

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