NFC Championship Game 2015: Live Stream, Odds Guide for Packers vs. Seahawks

What is perhaps one of the NFL's budding top rivalries for the next decade takes center stage Sunday.

Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are not going anywhere. Neither are Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks, the defending champions and one of the most finely tuned rosters the modern era has seen.

The two collide in Seattle to kick off Championship Game Weekend:

Those on the hunt to make some coin while viewing the games have a tough task in front of them. The AFC side of things to end the day is difficult, but worse is the early game, where an injury to Rodgers and other factors make things tough on bettors.

In the waning hours before the showdown, be sure to hit the Las Vegas lines only after digesting all of the pertinent factors.

2015 NFC Championship Odds and Schedule

Date	Matchup	Start Time (ET)	Network	Live Stream	Odds (O/U)
Sunday, January 18	Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle Seahawks	3 p.m.	Fox	Fox Sports Go	SEA -8 (47)

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark and accurate as of 9 p.m. ET on Jan. 17.

Odds Guide

Just how hurt is Rodgers? 

That seems to be the ultimate question, and one Las Vegas does not really feel any sort of way about when guessing that Seattle will be favored by about a touchdown at home regardless.

Maybe Rodgers is milking it. If so, 316 yards and three scores last week in a divisional-round win against Dallas sure spells bad news for Seattle.

Then again, as ESPN Stats & Info illustrates, Rodgers is not his usual self away from Lambeau Field:

Add in a potential injury, and who knows?

One man not taking the situation lightly is Seattle corner Richard Sherman, as captured by Clare Farnsworth of Seahawks.com:

"

I think consistency. Playing at a high level in big games. And he’s done all that. He’s been playing at a high level for a long time. He’s played big in all the big games. He played injured last week and had a phenomenal game. And I think with all those things you garner the respect of a lot of people.

"

The seriousness with which Seattle seems to take this matchup equates to a rather simplistic pick against the spread, even if Sunday represents the biggest underdog Rodgers has ever been in terms of odds in his career, per ESPN Stats & Information.

While a long time ago, Week 1 speaks well to how these teams match up.

In a 36-16 Seattle triumph at CenturyLink Field, there was no Fail Mary. There were no replacement zebras.

Just Russell Wilson throwing for two scores, Marshawn Lynch steamrolling down the tracks for 110 yards and two scores and the Seattle defense and all of its corny nicknames holding Rodgers to 189 yards and a score while sacking him three times.

The key to upending Seattle is to produce well on the ground and stay there. In Week 1, though, Green Bay as a whole rushed for fewer than four yards per carry and lead back Eddie Lacy gained just 34 yards on 12 carries.

If Rodgers is truly hurt, Lacy and the ground game will morph into somewhat of a predictable attack, much to the pleasure of the elite Seattle front.

USA TODAY Sports

Say Rodgers is fine, though. On the road in perhaps the league's most hostile environment for opposing quarterbacks, he will also have to deal with heavy wind, which will ground his passing attack outright.

Seattle is at an obvious advantage in this scenario. As for the over/under, it seems a bit generous to bettors who are comfortable with the over.

A Packers defense that ranks 23rd against the run and has already been gashed once by Lynch is ripe to give up plenty of points yet again—especially one week removed from allowing two scores through the air and 145 yards and a score on the ground via a 5.2 per-carry average, all at home. 

The Seahawks are going to move the ball at will and get in the end zone plenty. A hobbled Rodgers, away from his comfort zone and forced to deal with gusty conditions, will not have enough to cover the spread. 

Prediction: Seahawks 34, Packers 23  

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. Advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.