Eli Man

The last two times the New York Giants won the Super Bowl, Eli Manning was the quarterback, and they were able to defeat the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. They hope to be able to do that again, and that it is a good omen for this year's post-season run. This NFC wild-card matchup will take place at 4:40 PM ET at the stadium known for the "frozen tundra," which it might have again. It will be televised on Fox Network, and BetAnySports customers, who get reduced juice before the game starts, will be able to make real-time wagers, using the facilities provided by Live Betting Ultra.

The hottest quarterback in the NFL right now, with apologies to Tom Brady, is Aaron Rodgers, who got off to a relatively slow start but has come on like a freight train. In his last seven games he has thrown 18 touchdown passes without being intercepted, and he has brought his total to a league-leading 40 TDs on the season. He's been fortunate to get a great comeback season out of Jordy Nelson, who is caught 97 passes, and without a doubt, a key move made by coach Mike McCarthy was taking Ty Montgomery out of the wide receiver position and stationing him in the backfield, thus creating what was previously a non-existent running game.

As the well-stocked Green Bay offense prepares to operate, they know they have a challenge on their hands, as the Giants have one of the elite defenses in the NFL. They have limited the opposition to just 3.6 yards per carry and 58.6% completions, but that only tells part of the story. New York was last in the league defensively last season, and then they spent on free agents that have all come through in championship fashion. And they are tough as nails in the red zone, stopping opponents from scoring touchdowns 60.5% of the time. That is best in the NFL.

In the NFL playoff betting odds posted on this game by the people at BetAnySports, the Packers are favorites at home:

Green Bay Packers -5
New York Giants +5

Over 46.5 points -110
Under 46.5 points -110

The Giants, and their fans, wish they could get the kind of performance from their offense that would match that of the defense. But this team has struggled, to say the least. Part of it is that they don't get a consistent ground game going. Rookie Paul Perkins gave them some hope with 102 yards rushing last week against Washington, but it was still the fifth straight game that the Giants failed to reach 20 points on the scoreboard. This is a big concern, especially if they have to get into a shootout with Rodgers and the Packers.

Green Bay had some real injury concerns in the secondary earlier in the season, and those are resurfacing now. Quinten Rollins has been declared out of this game, and we don't know if Demarious Randall, who might draw the assignment on Beckham, is remotely close to 100%. The secondary has been burned for big plays when it has thinned out. So that is something to watch for.

As BetAnySports customers might know, Ben McAdoo, who took over for Tom Coughlin and led this team to a playoff spot in his first season, was an assistant for eight years in Green Bay, so he it is not it at all unfamiliar with what the Packers do. And he is credited for helping Rodgers greatly during his two seasons as quarterbacks coach. One other thing that must be noted is that the Giants have very few players left from their Super Bowl squads, and almost nobody from this defense has extensive playoff experience. In fact, the three big-money free agents they brought over – Olivier Vernon, Damon Harrison and Janoris Jenkins – don't have one post-season start between them.

It will be interesting to see how much of a pass rush the Giants can get, particularly if the cornerbacks, including rookie Eli Apple, are able to match up one-on-one against Green Bay's receivers. Rodgers has been known to hold the ball longer than most, but he has a very effective pass-blocking line, according to all he analytics that are available. Who will win that battle? That may determine the winner in this game.

At BetAnySports, you get all the advantages, including a free play bonus, reduced juice, which helps you avoid laying the customary 11-to-10 on your NFL betting, and Live Betting Ultra, which enables real-time action as you watch the Packers and Giants play...... Plenty of ways to deposit, including your Visa card, person-to-person transfers and the virtual currency of Bitcoin, and they have been known to pay out as quickly as anybody in the business!