Packers vs. Redskins: Updated Odds, TV Info and Prediction for Wild Card Game

Nobody told bettors that the NFL Wild Card Weekend would be easy. 

If folks had talked about a potential encounter between the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins before the season, most would have had no problem laughing off the end result in favor of Aaron Rodgers and Co.

Except Aaron Rodgers and Co. collapsed down the stretch, losing their last two games and the NFC North crown. On the flip side is a Kirk Cousins-led Washington team that happens to be one of the league's hottest on a four-game tear and winners of the NFC East title.

Call it a fitting encounter for an odd season. Here's a look at how Las Vegas feels on the matter and how bettors should, too.

Game Details

When: Sunday, January 10, at 4:40 p.m. ET

Where: FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland

Television: Fox

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

Over/Under: 45

Spread: Washington (-1)

Preview and Odds Breakdown

The odds say everything. 

Earlier in the week, it was Green Bay favored by a slim margin. Now it's Washington, and it's not too hard to see why.

Maybe the biggest reason? The fact that Cousins continues to sling it better than Rodgers. SportsCenter provided a tell-all graphic:

This shouldn't devolve into some silly "who's better?" argument, though. The situation around the quarterbacks as of late widens the divide. Rodgers' leading receiver is 31-year-old James Jones, who has caught 50 balls for 890 yards and eight touchdowns, better than Randall Cobb, one of the season's biggest disappointments. A shoddy offensive line has allowed Rodgers to be sacked 13 times over the past two games.

Cousins doesn't share these problems. He does have an iffy rushing attack behind him, with the top two backs at four combined rushing touchdowns to his five. But Cousins also gets to lean on top-five tight end Jordan Reed (87 catches, 952 yards and 11 scores), big-play threat DeSean Jackson and chain-moving veteran Pierre Garcon.

The Packers looked about as expected to start the season, firing off a 6-0 start before the team's play unraveled, culminating in a 38-8 loss to the Arizona Cardinals and a 20-13 home upset at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings.

Rodgers' weapons haven't been creating separation quickly enough to help compensate for the struggling offensive line. Starting back Eddie Lacy isn't much help, having rushed for more than 100 yards just three times this year and over the two losses combining for just 94.

Washington essentially started in the same manner by living up to expectations, with a rocky 2-4 start ahead of the "you like that?" game. The team lost just three games the rest of the way and finished on a 4-0 tear, while Cousins morphed into a franchise quarterback, completing 69.8 percent of his passes with 4,166 yards and 29 touchdowns to 11 interceptions.

Not that he hasn't been anything but humble at the podium.

"Aaron is at the top," Cousins said, according to ESPN's John Keim. "I feel like I've stood up here and said that about Tom Brady when we played the Patriots. I feel like I've said that about Drew Brees when we played the Saints, but, I mean, Aaron Rodgers is Aaron Rodgers. He’s tough to beat."

Las Vegas might want to pull this one further in Washington's favor, but Cousins has a point—Rodgers is Rodgers. He's one of the few who can overcome most any situation around him, so the conservative approach seems best for oddsmakers.

Of course, this makes the job nothing short of more difficult on bettors.

Prediction

It's bad when Green Bay's saving grace might be its defense, which allows just 20.2 points. 

This one, though, goes down in Washington and in the elements. Call it a disastrous situation for Rodgers, who doesn't have a fallback option in front or behind him. It's him, and he's tasked with finding a way to keep pace with a Washington offense that has posted 34 or more points in three of its last four.

Green Bay's defense will help keep this one close, but Rodgers has to do too much on his own. Washington will capitalize on the mistakes while Cousins cruises, leaning on his host of weapons to control the clock and take this victory late.

Prediction: Washington 28, Green Bay 27

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of January 9. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus. All betting information courtesy of Odds Shark.