The Cleveland Browns versus Green Bay Packers preseason game on Friday, 12th August is the proverbial David versus Goliath battle. However, if you’re betting on NFL, don’t expect little Dave to topple the Giant this time out. In 2015, the Packers ranked second in offense, 12th in defense, first in passing, and 21st in rushing. Meanwhile, the Browns ranked 32nd, 9th, 29th, and 29th in those same categories. Moreover, Green Bay finished the season with a 10-6 record, second place in the NFC North, won the Wild Card playoffs versus the Redskin, and finally lost the divisional playoffs versus the Cardinals. Cleveland finished last in the AFC North with a 3-13 record and, needless to say, did not make the postseason.
If the Browns wanted better NFL betting online chances they needed to make changes, and changes they made. Former head coach/general manager tandem Mike Pettine and Ray Farmer were fired, and Hue Jackson assumed the reins of the team from the former while Sashi Brown stepped in for the latter in a de facto basis. That’s as a good a start as any; out with the old, in with the Hue. Nevertheless, it will be hard to compete with the consistency that head coach Mike McCarthy has achieve in over a decade with the Packers.
The Packers have also had constancy under center. Aaron Rodgers may have already peaked with his 2011 Super Bowl championship win, but he is still posting All Star numbers. For instance, Rodgers completed 347 of 572 attempted passes (60.7) for 3,821 yards and 31 TDs in 2015. Those are numbers that the Browns would have killed for, but were out of their reach, what with Josh McCown’s injury problems and Johnny Manziel’s personal problems. Cleveland has a brand new starting QB in Robert Griffin III – as well as possible backup in rookie Cody Kessler – but Browns fans who enjoy betting on NFL should not expect any miracles from RG3.
Griffin missed the entire 2015 season with concussion issues, and was released by the Redskins on March of this year. Furthermore, he only played nine games in 2014, completing 147 passes of 214 attempts for 1,694 yards and 4 TDs – a far cry from his 3,000-plus, double digit touchdowns 2012 and 2013 seasons. Griffin was selected by the Redskins as the 2nd overall pick of the 2012 draft, and was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Expectations for him were high, and some would have even drafted him ahead of Andrew Luck. Alas, their careers have taken very different paths, but that’s where coach Jackson comes in.
Jackson reportedly does for QBs what Robert Redford did for horses, and he has made Griffin his pet project. It is quite a gamble, and one that could persuade other gamblers to put their money on the Browns when betting on NFL – but it could also be the last nail in the team’s coffin. We will start to find that out when the Browns visit Lambeu Field for their rendez-vouz with the Packers.