Green Bay Packers Look to Close Out Week 15 Strong Against LA Rams

Posted on: December 19, 2022, 08:03h. 

Last updated on: December 20, 2022, 01:45h.

Week 15 of the NFL will close with the game between the Green Bay Packers and the Los Angeles Rams. They’ll face off in what is almost a trivial Monday Night Football battle at Lambeau Field.

Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (12) hands off to Aaron Jones. The Packers meet the LA Rams on Monday Night Football for another shot at glory. (Image: Getty Images)

For this game, the Packers arrive motivated after a victory last week when they beat the Chicago Bears, 28-19. That allowed them to break a losing streak of two consecutive games and show that there’s still some level of talent on the squad.

The Rams also got back to winning the week before, beating the Las Vegas Raiders, 17-16. That came off a stellar performance by a new QB who had almost no knowledge of the playbook. More of that will come today, when Baker Mayfield starts for his new team.

Not a Good Year for Rams or Packers

Both teams are having a losing season, with the Packers’ 5-8 record putting them in third place in the NFC North. The Rams aren’t showing the same skills that led them to a Super Bowl win last year, and are now in third in the NFC West at 4-9.

  Rams Packers
Moneyline +260 -335
Spread +7 (+100) -7 (-120)
Over/under O39.5 (-110) U39.5 (-110)
  Courtesy of Caesars  

It happened a little too late, but Mayfield joined the Rams and immediately got to work. In the agonizing home win against the Raiders, the 27-year-old replaced John Wofford after the first offensive series, which was a failure. Mayfield completed 62.86% of his passes and was good for 22 of 35 attempts, covering 230 yards.

Rams head coach Sean McVay confirmed that Mayfield will be the starter for Monday night’s game. He explained that Wofford won’t be available because of a neck injury, but the truth is that Mayfield earned his shot at a start.

The Carolina Panthers castoff will now have to prove that his performance wasn’t a fluke. If he can stop the Packers, Mayfield will accomplish two things – he will show that he hasn’t lost his mojo, and he will make it almost impossible for the Packers to see the postseason.

The Packers are essentially ready to begin a rebuild. They’ve been slipping and sliding all season, but the defense isn’t going to go out without one last attempt at glory.

Cornerback Jaire Alexander expects his Packers to pick up seven interceptions tonight. It’s unfortunate he couldn’t go into each game since Week 1 with that level of energy.

Packers Heavy Favorites

Green Bay gets the benefit in this game for a number of reasons, but mostly because the Rams are hurting – physically and mentally. The offense is battered and missing starters, and even when it was healthy, it wasn’t able to make a big impact.

Now, the Rams’ defense is dealing with its own issues. This further exacerbates the situation and leaves the Packers way out in front.

However, the Packers have been dealing with some issues of their own. These will come into play tonight and should impact the total score if not the outcome.

The Packers have won their last two games against the Rams and have gone 5-1 over the past matchups. They’re on track to add another win on Monday. Despite this, most bettors until now expect the Rams to cover the seven-point spread.

The weather at Lambeau isn’t inviting for a team from LA. Subzero temperatures are child’s play for the Packers, and they’ll use the cold to their advantage.