Aaron Rodgers is a veteran quarterback who currently plays for the Green Bay Packers. The 38-year-old has openly stated on more than one occasion that he doesn’t see the benefit of preseason games and refers to them as being a waste of time. However, in their regular season opener just last year, they lost an abysmal 38-3 to the New Orleans Saints.
He has missed several other preseason matches, so how justified is he to dismiss the importance of preseason fixtures?
More about Aaron Rodgers and the Greenbay Packers
Aaron Rodgers was born in Chico, California, in 1983, and he has played for the Green Bay Packers since 2005. Throughout his career, he has helped his team win numerous awards, plus he is also the recipient of several personal awards. He stands at 6ft 2 inches, and some of his most notable awards are the Super Bowl XLV (champion), Super Bowl MVP (most valuable player), and NFC Champion.
He has also been the NFL’s most valuable player on four separate occasions (2011, 2014, 2020, and 2021), and he won the SN NFL Offensive Player of the Year award in 2011 and again in 2014. The Green Bay Packers formed over a hundred years ago (the first season was in 1919), and they play their home games at the Lambeau Field stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The team generates millions of dollars in revenue for the major betting sites. For example, NFL betting on Unibet is extremely popular, and right now, you can find plenty of bets that are now open for the Green Bay Packers. The club itself generates millions via television rights deals and the sale of merchandise. The team plays in dark green, gold, and white, and they are currently coached by Matt LaFleur.
The Green Bay Packers have several nicknames, some of which are more commonly recognised than others, such as the ACME Packers, the Indian Packers, The Pack, the Bays, the Packers, the Big Bay Blues, the Blues, the Green and Gold and The Indians, and some of the most iconic players ever to play for them are Brett Favre (Quarterback), Bart Starr (Quarterback), and Don Huston (Wide Receiver).
Reggie White, Ray Nitschke, Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor, Jerry Kramer, Charles Woodson and Herb Adderley, and, not forgetting, Rodgers himself, are also among their most famous players.
How important are preseason matches?
For most people, preseason matches are extremely important. They give teams a better chance to prepare before the season starts, but according to Rodgers, they aren’t important. He’s not alone. Other veterans of the game that are also still actively playing share a similar view. However, many of the players/teams that don’t focus so much on the preseason games have proven to not fare so well. The results speak for themselves. If you don’t prepare, how can you expect to jump straight into the regular season openers and expect to do well?
Does missing preseason affect the odds?
Based on the number of games certain NFL teams have lost in their opening game(s) due to lack of preseason preparations, a seasoned bettor would be more inclined to bet on those teams losing in their opening matches, and, in many cases, they wouldn’t be wrong. The major betting companies tend to give better odds to teams who have fared well in preseason matches, especially against their opponents who haven’t performed so well.
If you were to bet on the Green Bay Packers to win the NFL outright this season, you would see that they currently have +1100 odds. The Kansas City Chiefs currently have +1000 odds to win. Tampa Bay are second favorites to win outright with +750 odds, and the Buffalo Bills are favorites to win with +600 odds. However, as the season progresses, these odds can change a great deal, and the Green Bay Packers’ odds, for example, are likely to improve somewhat.
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