The drama is finally over. The Packers traded Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets before the 2023 NFL Draft and it’s now officially the Jordan Love era in Green Bay. This week, the Packers agreed to a contract extension with Love that will keep him in Green Bay through the 2024 season. So with Love entrenched as the starter, what should the expectation be in 2023 for the new-look Packers and what will their offense look like now?
BetWisconsin.com will be your authority for Wisconsin sports betting as it makes its way to the Badger State. For now, we bring you the current state of the Packers playoff chances to win the NFC North in 2023.
Green Bay Looks For Love To Lead The Pack
One of the reasons the Packers are excited about transitioning from Rodgers to Love is the added flexibility on offense. Love isn’t a fantastic runner, but he offers much more mobility than Rodgers. In his only career start (2021 vs Chiefs), Love ran the ball five times for 23 yards. While that is a small sample size, athleticism is one of the most appealing traits of Love’s game.
Expect the Packers to use Love’s mobility to their advantage, which should help the overall run game. It’s unlikely that we will see the Packers pass the ball more with Love under center, but we should see an uptick in rushing efficiency. With Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon in the backfield, it’s probably not a bad idea for the Packers to be more balanced on offense.
With that being said, how do the Packers stack up compared to the rest of the teams in their division? Here is a look at how their odds to win the NFC North have shifted this offseason, before and after the Aaron Rodgers trade to the Jets. Betting lines provided via BetMGM:
You can expect BetMGM Wisconsin to have all the latest Packers odds once sports betting is live in the state.
With a strong draft class, the Packers have seen their odds move up from +450 to +400 in a week. However, they still have the lowest odds to win the division with the Lions (+130) being the favorites. So, is this a good time to jump on the Packers given their history and overall roster? It might not be such a bad bet.
Realistic Expectations For The 2023 Packers
The biggest question mark for the Packers might not be Jordan Love, but their defense. Green Bay allowed nearly 22 points per game last season, 17th in the NFL. However, they were decimated by injuries and their lack of depth really hurt them. The good news is that they were able to add to that defense this offseason and will get back Rashan Gary in 2023.
Still, it’s probably not a good idea to bet on the Packers to win their division at their current price. Detroit and Minnesota both have very talented rosters with much more proven quarterbacks leading the charge. But if the Packers get back to being +500 or +600 underdogs to take the NFC North, that’s probably the time to bet on them to win the division.
Until then, it’s best to pass on these odds for the Packers to win the NFC North until we learn a little bit more about what the offense will look like with Jordan Love under center. There is just too much unknown to be betting on any Packers-related futures until we see Love play more than just a handful of snaps.
