2011 NFL Predictions: Green Bay Packers Heavy Road Favorites Friday Night

The Green Bay Packers (1-1) head out on the road for the final time during the 2011 NFL preseason and will visit the Indianapolis Colts (0-2) Friday night at Lucas Oil Stadium.  Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST and will be nationally televised on CBS.

Green Bay is likely to go off as the biggest road favorite in Week 3, currently laying as many as nine points in some sports books around Las Vegas.  Giving that number some perspective, the Packers haven't been preseason road favorites of 7.5 to 10 points in at least the past 18 years.

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy has supplied over-backers plenty of reason to celebrate while roaming the sidelines during exhibition play, going above the total in 17 of his 22 preseason games.

Both of Green Bay's games this season have gone over, and the team's no-huddle offense has played a major part in lighting up the scoreboard.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has led two touchdown drives in the hurry-up this year and has connected on all 10 passes in the situation.  In last week's 28-20 home win over the Arizona Cardinals, Rodgers hit all five attempts—including a 20-yard scoring strike to receiver Greg Jennings.

The betting public has jumped on the Packers early on due to remembering last year's 59-24 win over the Colts during the same week last year. Green Bay's 59-point total was the most in the preseason by any team in the league since the 1970 merger.

Indianapolis has done little to garner betting support over the first two weeks and will play another game without the services of future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.  The Colts have scored just 13 points combined in losses to the St. Louis Rams (33-10) and Washington Redskins (16-3).

Much of the conversation around camp has been focused on preparing for the start of the regular season without Manning, causing the franchise to sign veteran quarterback Kerry Collins Wednesday.  The 16-year NFL veteran has thrown for 40,441 career yards while being under center for five different teams.

Curtis Painter will make his third start of the preseason and the stakes have been raised with the potential of earning a season-opening start against the Houston Texans on Sept. 11 at Reliant Stadium.  The former Purdue product has completed 8 of 16 passes for 95 yards and thrown an interception in the first two games.

From a betting perspective, I recommend backing the Colts if the line reaches double-digits.  It certainly may get there with over 60 percent of the action coming in on the Packers.