The Packers backed up their dominating opening-week victory over the Lions with a commanding performance vs. the Commanders.
Green Bay won 27-18, covering the closing -3.5. The Total went Under 48/48.5. Unders are now 13-4 this season.
To add injury to insult, the Commanders lost RB Austin Ekeler to a season-ending Achilles injury. Packers WR Jayden Reed suffered a fractured collarbone and will be placed on injured reserve.
I checked in with A Numbers Game host Gill Alexander about his hometown team’s performance:
I don’t think anyone was open for Washington all night and Jayden was under constant pressure. Rookie RT Josh Connerly has been up against two good fronts to start the season and has struggled. The defense was outmatched, too. Tucker Kraft appeared to be invisible out there. I can’t believe Washington had the ball with a chance to cover at the end.
Not that this applied here, but the gambling lesson there is: Think hard before ever laying big points in this league because even domination doesn’t guarantee a cover.
In two games to start the season vs. a team in last year’s NFC Championship and the team with the best record in the NFC last season, the Packers defense has given up the 20-yard TD pass to Zack Ertz and one 32-yarder from Goff to LaPorta last week. That’s the list. Everything else has been underneath. That looks to me like the best defense in the NFC if not the NFL, and with apologies to the Eagles, the team to beat to get to the Super Bowl.
The betting market reflects Gill’s opinon as DraftKings now has the Packers as +300 favorites to win the NFC title with the Eagles at +360.
Update: The 49ers said QB Brock Purdy (turf toe) could be out up to five weeks.
We’ll be posting everything we do on Week 2 on this page, including Steve Makinen‘s Best Bets and Adam Burke‘s survivor picks.
Bonus material: Pauly Howard has some kicking props he likes. Plus we left the story in all CAPS because that’s how Pauly writes everything.
Friday night CFB
Adam Burke previews tonight’s top game, Kansas State (-1.5) at Arizona (9 ET, Fox):
It felt like bettors and bookmakers alike didn’t know how to line this game early in the week, but the influential market-makers seem to have a grasp of the situation and they like Kansas State.
>>Adam’s Best Bet, plus analysis on Colorado-Houston and New Mexico-UCLA.
Hard to believe Adam didn’t break down Indiana State (+48.5) at Indiana.
The New Mexico-UCLA game also qualifies under Steve Makinen‘s stability score system.
Josh Appelbaum’s CFB Sharp Report will be posted later this morning.
Contest corner
The Circa Friday Football Invitational show, hosted by Matt Youmans, is back tonight (7-10 ET) with 175 college and pro picks from 25 handicappers vying for $30,000 put up by Circa owner Derek Stevens.
On the menu: Contestants Steve Fezzik, Paul Bovi and Jeff Petch will be on to explain their selections, plus Matt and Derek will taste test the sliced ribeye Philly steak from presenting sponsor Omaha Steaks. I tried it last night and I may need more tonight.
The contest selections will be posted tonight on VSiN.com and VSiN Pro subscribers will get an email with all the picks shortly after tonight’s show is over.
The lines will be posted at 1 p.m. ET and picks accepted until 10 a.m. ET Saturday if you are in the EdgeBoost Average Joe Contest. There are weekly and quarterly prizes, so you can register for the contest anytime.
Quick Hits
MLB: Greg Peterson has Best Bets for today’s MLB menu. Adam Burke and Steve Makinen will post their contributions later this morning.
College Basketball: Thirteen from six schools were involved in gambling schemes, including betting against their own team, game manipulation and sharing information with third parties for gambling purposes, the NCAA announced Thursday. The players were from Eastern Michigan, Temple, Arizona State, New Orleans, North Carolina A&T and Mississippi Valley State. No names until the investigations are completed. >>More from ESPN’s David Purdum.
Horse Racing: Mike Somich and Aaron Halterman preview the Kentucky and Oaks prep races at Churchill on Saturday, among many topics on the VSiN At The Track podcast.
>Watch.
>Listen.
Horse racing coverage is sponsored by 1/ST BET. Get your $250 sign-up bonus.
Soccer: Nigel Seeley has his top plays for this weekend’s EPL menu.
