Green Bay Packers vs Philadelphia Eagles betting tips and NFL predictions: Back the Packers in Brazil

Where to watch Green Bay Packers vs Philadelphia Eagles

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Green Bay Packers
2pts 23-20 Paddy Power

Green Bay Packers vs Philadelphia Eagles predictions

The Friday night lights will shine down on an NFL Week One game for the first time since 1970 as the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles open their seasons in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The NFL's first visit to South America showcases a pair of Super Bowl contenders in the NFC and the Packers are worth supporting to get the upper hand.

The Eagles suffered a major slump in the second half of last season, losing five of their last six games after a 10-1 start and then getting blown out 32-9 by a mediocre Tampa Bay team in the wild-card round. 

Doubts remain about the relationship between Philly coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts, while the retirement of Jason Kelce, one of the best centres of all time, should not be overlooked and could take time to adjust to.

Their offensive line is still strong and they have added a talented running back in Saquon Barkley, but Kelce was a huge part of the offensive pre-snap decision-making and he will be missed. The Philadelphia pass-rush looks as weak as it has for many years and new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has to try to fix a unit that finished 30th in points allowed per game last season.

The Packers gave notice of their return to prominence on Thanksgiving Day last year, when taking down the red-hot Lions on their home field and the oddsmakers look to be similarly disrepectful of their chances in this game. Green Bay went on to upset the Cowboys on the road in the play-offs before going close to taking out the 49ers in the divisional round.

Green Bay also have a new running back this season in Josh Jacobs and have added safety Xavier McKinney to their defense. They look to have a better chance of opening with a win than the odds suggest.

The lowdown

Venue Corinthians Arena, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Surface Enhanced grass
Weather Cloudy, 23C
Vegas line Packers +2
Points line 49

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