Panthers-Packers predictions from national NFL experts ... and Clucko the Chicken
Does anyone think the Carolina Panthers can go to Green Bay and beat the Packers?
Green Bay (10-3) and quarterback Aaron Rodgers have the best record in the NFC, are 5-1 at home and have won three straight. Carolina (4-9) has lost two in a row and is 2-4 on the road.
Charlotte Observer columnist Scott Fowler doesn’t see the Panthers turning things around in Green Bay. He believes Rodgers and the Packers win easily, 33-20.
We checked with experts around the nation to see if Fowler’s was the majority opinion.
Apparently, only a chicken disagrees.
▪ Over at Pro Football Talk, Michael David Smith and Mike Florio are predicting a pretty easy win for the Pack.
“It’s hard to imagine the Panthers even keeping this one close,” Smith wrote. “Aaron Rodgers will get a Saturday prime time game to showcase his MVP candidacy.”
He picked Green Bay, 33-16.
Florio has the Packers winning 37-23.
▪ Eleven of the 12 experts from College Football News picked the Packers. The one outlier? Clucko The Chicken. The folks at College Football News have a real chicken pick games. Clucko is presented with feed in different bowls that represent each team. The bowl the chicken eats from first is the winning pick. Clucko has a surprisingly good track record.
This week, Clucko, unlike the rest of his colleagues, went with the Panthers.
▪ All seven USA Today experts picked the Packers. So did all nine experts at ESPN, all three at Athlon Sports and all 10 at SB Nation.
▪ Over at Sports Illustrated, its six experts also picked Green Bay.
▪ Finally, Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com has t he Packers winning 37-26, and he writes why:
“Teddy Bridgewater ‘s play has declined over his last five games. The Panthers’ defense, which will struggle to get pressure on Aaron Rodgers Saturday night, has remained sub-mediocre all year. That’s a rough combination against a Packers team whose offense is perfectly in sync, with this game offering another chance for Rodgers to build his MVP résumé.”
This story was originally published December 19, 2020 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Panthers-Packers predictions from national NFL experts ... and Clucko the Chicken."
