San Francisco at Green Bay, 8:15p, ESPN (Packers -9.5, O/U: 46.5)
Rodgers and the Packers have had a rough, up and down start where he’s been dealing with a nagging knee injury since the first half of the first game of the year and his receivers have been dropping like flies the last few weeks. Luckily there’s a bye week next week which means they can go extra hard on primetime tonight to get the job done and to silence the doubters or at least quiet them for a bit, heading into the middle of the season. Even while dealing with the knee injury, Rodgers has been his same old productive self (63% completion, 1,500+ yards, 10 touchdowns and only 1 interception).
Aaron Jones has been very effective since coming back, rushing 24 times for 147, averaging 6+ yards per rush and a score. That has been over the last 3 games, so look for the Packers to get him integrated into the gameplan early to set up the pass game. Green Bay’s defense needs a big boost heading into the bye week and they certainly have the opportunity to have a big game against a CJ Beathard led 9ers.
Beathard who has shown flashes of great play has a 1:1 touchdown to interception rate, completing 63% of his passes and was 2 yards shy in his first start of the year from having back to back 300+ yard games. The weapons he has around him while having Shanahan as his coach is the 9ers saving grace while Jimmy Garaoppolo lounges the rest of the season while rehabbing his season ending knee injury. Breida has picked up the slack at running back with McKinnon out for the season, also a season ending knee injury, carrying the ball 49 times for 369 yards, averaging 7.5 yards per carry and scoring a solo touchdown.
The 49ers defense has also given up a ton of points and has rarely kept them in games. Compared to the Packers, the 49ers give up more yards on defense and pickup less yards on offense. Process of elimination says the Packers at home are destined to have a great game.
Take Rodgers and his Packers to use whatever receivers he needs to, to cover in the win and in the over, Packers 36-24.
#beatyourbookie
Necessary Roughness 