A little fun news for Packers fans. Coach Matt LaFleur told reporters yesterday that Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the starters on both sides of the ball would play “a quarter or so” depending on how things are going during the game.

NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis

This game is actually only the second time these two teams have met in the preseason. The last time was way back in 1996, when the Packers beat the Ravens 17-15. Since many on the current rosters weren’t even born yet, this statistic doesn’t hold much weight. More recently, when these two teams met in the regular season, it was a Week 11 victory for the Ravens in 2017.

Last week, each of these teams won their first preseason game. Green Bay got away with a 28-16 W, whereas the Ravens absolutely clobbered the Jaguars by a 29-0 count. It won’t be an easy one for the Packers against the host team, who are on a 15-preseason game win streak. The Ravens are -4 favorites to win at home.

Green Bay Packers

It was a close one in Week 1 of the preseason, when the Packers narrowly beat the Houston Texans 28-26 at Lambeau. Even though preseason games and their outcomes are taken with a grain of salt, it was an important game, as it was the first time Matt LaFleur stepped onto the field as head coach for a game.

Preseason games are testing grounds for players competing for position, and this game matchup saw Deshone Kizer and Tim Boyle both playing hard for that coveted backup QB position. Lafleur had to be happy with both of them, with Kizer completing 8 of 13 passes and Boyle completing 3 of 5.

As is the fear with preseason games, players can get injured before the regular season gets underway, which is why you don’t often see starters in those games. The fear became a reality for the Packers organization last week, with a potentially season-ending injury to linebacker Oren Burks. Burks being injured puts a little more pressure on seventh-round draft pick Ty Summers. Summers was outstanding in the game against the Texans, notching 10 tackles. If he can keep that pressure up, he may have the chance to start for the Packer defense.

Another Green Bay linebacker, Za’Darius Smith, is very familiar with the competition this week, as he played four seasons with the Ravens before joining the Packers this year.

Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore made a big bet on their young quarterback in the offseason when they traded veteran Joe Flacco to the Broncos. The Ravens are counting on Lamar Jackson to lead this team with the help of a much improved offense. WR John Brown, RB Mark Ingram, and first-round pick WR Marquise Brown will all make excellent weapons for Jackson to utilize.

Where the Ravens are perhaps lacking, is defence. Many of their veteran defensive players are gone this year, a problem the team tried to resolve, at least partially, with the signing of Earl Thomas. Is he enough to make up for the loss of Terrell Suggs, CJ Mosley, Eric Weddle, and Za’Darius Smith? We’ll see.

The Ravens have been killing it in the preseason, especially at home where they’ve won their last five and beaten their opponents by an average of 14 points per game.

PACKERS

Away

10

RAVENS

Home

24

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