No one expected much from the Washington Football Team this season and it didn’t help when starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was injured (hip) in Week 1, putting him out of action indefinitely. But even given the tempered expectations, the WFT continues to perform below even a lowering bar.
The WFT has the dubious distinction of being 1-5 against the spread, which is good enough — or bad enough — for last in the NFL. Two teams are 1-4 ATS, San Francisco and the New York Jets. In the standings, Washington is 2-4 in the horrible NFC East. That’s not entirely surprising since Washington’s NFC title game and Super Bowl odds were long entering the season.
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This week, Washington travels to Green Bay to play the Packers, who are on the flip side of the ATS coin at 5-1. The Pack is also 5-1 in the NFC North.
The point spread started with the Packers as 7.5-point favorites and has drifted to Green Bay as an 8.5- to 9-point favorite. Getting above seven points and especially eight points makes taking the favorite tricky for Virginia sports betting because of the potential for late-game backdoor covers.
’Trap’ Game?
Packers backers also have to keep in mind that on the following week Green Bay is on the road against currently undefeated Arizona, setting up the WFT game as one of those so-called “trap” games where the better team gets caught looking past the inferior opponent in front it.
OK, this is the NFL and sometimes the underdog rises to the occasion, but 10 times out of 10 Aaron Rodgers beats Taylor Heinicke. Did we mention that the game is at Lambeau Field, where Rodgers’ winning percentage is about 80%?
Who Will Win?
Who wins this game is not the question. The only question is: Can the Packers win this thing by about 10 points? The early Virginia gambling wagering shows the trepidation among bettors — only 56% like the Packers ATS. On the moneyline, it’s about 2-to-1 Green Bay (-400). The favored wager is the Over (49.5 points) with about 75% of the money.
Prediction: It’s against my better judgment because of the point spread being in that 8.5- and 9-point range. But, Packers 34, WFT 23.
