Green Bay Packers Odds Return With Aaron Rodgers’ Lambeau Arrival

As Aaron Rodgers returned to Lambeau Field early Tuesday morning, Green Bay Packers futures odds began to reappear at online sportsbooks.

Absent from OTAs and “mandatory” minicamp, there was speculation as recent as last weekend that Rodgers would soon announce his retirement.

Veteran Carson Palmer once pulled a similar stunt, eventually forcing his way out of Cincinnati and to the Arizona Cardinals. The agent representing Palmer at the time, David Dunn, just so happens to be representing Rodgers.

So rumors swirled and oddsmakers reacted — well, at least some of them did.

On Friday night, DraftKings and BetRivers both took down odds to win the NFC North in Illinois.

As Chris Altruda of Sports Handle noted, Packers win totals were off the board at both FanDuel and DraftKings on Monday after lowering the line to 8.5 during the weekend, though NFC North futures were still available at both FanDuel and PointsBet. Then two hours later, “the Packers moved from a +150 co-favorite with the Vikings to a +110 favorite at FanDuel, and their odds shortened slightly from +125 to +120 at PointsBet as reports had Rodgers possibly playing for the Packers.”

What we know now is that Rodgers is back and, unless something unforeseeable happens, will be the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.

Yes, that means the defending NFL MVP, not second-year quarterback Jordan Love, will be leading the Packers one season removed from hosting an NFC Championship game and holding the second-best record in the NFL.

With the Rodgers at the helm, the Packers are undoubtedly favorites to win their division but where do they sit across sportsbooks when it comes to Super Bowl odds and more?

Packers +1500 to Win Super Bowl

The Packers are anywhere from +1200 to +1500 to win the Super Bowl this season. Using ScoresAndOdds’ NFL futures comparison tool, you’ll quickly find the best sportsbook to back the Pack. In this case, it’s William Hill who lists the Packers +1500, meaning a $100 wager would pay $1500 if Rodgers can grab his second-career Lombardi Trophy.

Interestingly, the Rams, 49ers, and Bucs all sit ahead of the Packers in terms of Super Bowl odds, not to mention the Chiefs, Bills, and Ravens in the AFC.

+1500 is not a terrible price if you trust Rodgers to put forth another MVP caliber performance. With the NFC West super competitive, no team is shorter than +180 to win the division. In fact, sportsbooks disagree as to who the actual favorite is — FanDuel likes the 49ers +185 while William Hill has the Rams +180. Meanwhile, Rodgers’ competition in the North consists of Jared Goff, Kirk Cousins, and either Andy Dalton or rookie Justin Fields. And now that Rodgers is locked in, the Packers are odds-on favorites (-155 at FanDuel) to win the division.

All things considered, I prefer betting on the Packers ahead of either the 49ers and Rams.

MVP Odds: Rodgers +1000 to Defend Title

As for MVP Odds, sportsbooks aren’t counting Rodgers out like they did this time last year. Only Patrick Mahomes (+500) sits in front of Rodgers, who is +1000 to defend his MVP title.

While Rodgers proved he can put up plenty of touchdowns in Matt LaFleur’s system, I’m not sure those touchdowns and yards are as inevitable as these odds suggest. Rodgers had one of his best seasons less than a year ago, but he has stayed away from the football field up until now, leaving less time to practice with this teammates. The reps probably aren’t as meaningful for a vet and one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time like Rodgers, but LaFleur’s system isn’t necessarily pass-heavy.

According to RotoGrinders 2021 Fantasy Football Projections, Rodgers is slated for 28 passing touchdowns, which is tied with Ryan Tannhill and Justin Herbert, and behind Russell Wilson (30), Dak Prescott (31), Matthew Stafford (31), Josh Allen (34), Tom Brady (34), and Patrick Mahomes (38). Rodgers sits 11th in projected passing yards (4,720). I need a much better price to bet on Rodgers to win MVP, especially considering voters tend to shy away from the previous season’s winner. Peyton Manning is the only back-to-back MVP (’08, ’09) since Brett Favre won three-consecutive awards between 1995-97.

My suggestion? Stick to Chalk Mahomes, go back to Lamar Jackson (+1700), maybe consider Baker Mayfield (+3500), and if you’re looking for a deep longshot, then Jalen Hurts (+7500) and/or Sam Darnold (+15000) might be your guys.