There’s no questioning which are the two most anticipated games this weekend, the last weekend of the NFL regular season: The Packers battle the Bears while the Eagles clash with the Cowboys. In both games, the winners will take their respective divisions and move on to the playoffs, while the losers will begin their vacation early.
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Sports Betting Preview for December 27-29
NBA – Hawks, Blazers Win in OT
Kyrie Irving’s 40 points were offset by four Atlanta Hawks with 20+ points as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell at home 127-125 in 2OT. Elsewhere, the Portland Trailblazers withstood a combined 69 points from Blake Griffin and Chris Paul to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers 116-112 win at home. The Blazers improve to an NBA-best 24-5 SU.
NCAAF – MAC Falls in Bowl Games
A field goal with under two minutes left was enough for Pittsburgh to edge MAC champions Bowling Green 30-27 in the Little Caesars Bowl. And in the Poinsettia Bowl, Heisman finalist Jordan Lynch tallied just 255 total yards as his Northern Illinois Huskies fell to Utah State 21-14. The Mid-Atlantic Conference is now 0-4 SU in this year’s bowl season.
NFL – Rodgers To Play vs Bears
Aaron Rodgers will finally make his long-awaited return from injury this Sunday for the Green Bay Packers’ NFC North title-deciding game against the Chicago Bears.
Top Bet Games to Bet On This Weekend
Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears (Dec. 29, 4:25 PM ET)
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The news of Aaron Rodgers’ return has instantly made Green Bay Packers the favorites to win yet another NFC North title, which they can clinch with a victory on Sunday. But the former MVP could be lacking in sharpness after almost two months out, meaning Eddie Lacy must be prepared to carry some of the load. The rookie running back is playing with an ankle injury, but has scored a TD in each of his last three games. Green Bay is 6-1 SU in its last seven games versus Chicago.
The Chicago Bears had a chance to clinch the division last week, but they got humiliated 54-11 in Philadelphia. Jay Cutler went 20-for-35 for only 222 yards and the dependable Matt Forte had his worst game of the season with just 9 carries for 29 yards. The Chicago run defense lived up to its billing as the worst in the NFL, giving up 289 yards on the ground. But with homefield advantage and the possibility of a subpar Rodgers, they’re still in with a shout. The UNDER is 11-1 in Chicago’s last twelve games against Green Bay.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys (Dec. 29, 8:30 PM ET)
The Philadelphia Eagles could not have played a better game to enter their crucial division-decider. The Eagles thoroughly dominated the Bears on both sides of the ball. The NFL’s leading rusher LeSean McCoy had another great game with 133 yards and two TDs and Nick Foles completed a season-best 84 percent of his passes (21-of-25). The defense was also on point, surrendering just 257 total yards. Philadelphia is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games.
On the other hand, the Cowboys could not have received worse news in preparation for the finale. Star QB Tony Romo underwent surgery this week for a back injury and will be out for Week 17. Romo had led the Cowboys to a come-from-behind victory over the Redskins just last week. In his place, the Cowboys will turn to back-up Kyle Orton, whose only in-game action this year was in Dallas’ 45-28 loss at Chicago two weeks ago. Orton went 3-of-5 for 40 yards. Dallas is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games versus Philadelphia.
