Two explosive offenses meet on Thursday night as the Green Bay Packers host the Indianapolis Colts in a NFL betting game that can be seen on ESPN. The Green Bay first string offense with Aaron Rodgers has been almost flawless so far in the preseason while the Colts are always a threat to score with Peyton Manning on the field.
Green Bay is a 3.5 point favorite with a total of 44 at SBG Global Sportsbook.
The Colts are not at full strength yet with tight end Dallas Clark, center Jeff Saturday and left tackle Charlie Johnson out. Peyton Manning will be playing on Thursday though and he might go the entire first half. Manning has looked good in the preseason but the Colts would like to find some continuity on the offensive line. The Colts will get a good test against a solid Green Bay defense. The Colts have traditionally been a rotten team in the preseason and that has not changed this season. They are 4-20 in preseason games since 2005.
On the other side, Rodgers has been fantastic so far in the preseason. The Green Bay first string offense has been virtually unstoppable so the Colts will have their work cut out for them. Green Bay’s first string offense has scored TDs on four of their six possessions and the drives have been impressive as the Packers went 84, 72, 71 and 76 yards for TDs. Rodgers is 20 of 24 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. The Packers are very confident in their offense this NFL betting season.
The Colts actually lead the all-time preseason series against Green Bay, winning five of the eight meetings. The teams have not met in the preseason since 1996 when the Colts won 20-6 at home. The teams met in the regular season two years ago at Lambeau when the Packers won 34-14.
With the Colts missing their starting center and Manning’s favorite receiver in Dallas Clark this line seems a little low on Green Bay. The Colts backup quarterback is Curtis Painter and he has yet to show he is ready to play effectively in the NFL. The Packers have Matt Flynn as their backup quarterback and although he is not a big name he has been pretty good when he has had a chance to play.
