Thursday Night NFL Betting — Late Word: Bridgewater Out For Minnesota; Ponder Takes Reins in Green Bay
Teddy Bridgewater, the rookie quarterback who added so much spark to the Minnesota Vikings’ offense in his initial NFL start, is going to be held back out of Thursday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers because of his sprained ankle.
Christian Ponder, the former second-round draft choice from Florida State, who had been occupying the third-string spot at the beginning of the season behind Matt Cassel and Bridgewater, came in to relieve the rookie in last week’s home game against the Atlanta Falcons but did not throw a pass. He will be getting the start against the Green Bay Packers in the 8:30 PM ET kickoff at Lambeau Field, televised live on CBS.
Bridgewater had led the Vikings to a 41-28 victory last Sunday, but suffered the ankle sprain during the game, and it was determined that in this short week of preparation, there was not enough time for the ankle to heal properly enough for him to take the field. So he is being declared inactive.
NFL betting lines Courtesy Of BetAnySports USA Online Sportsbook
In the NFL betting lines at BetAnySports, this has been reflected, as the number on Green Bay has risen to nine points, with a total of 46.5 points.
Ponder played two games against Green Bay last season; he was sacked nine times in those games but completed 68% of his passes. In those contests, Minnesota suffered a 44-31 defeat and then managed a 26-26 tie, which took place when Aaron Rodgers was out of the lineup and Matt Flynn had to step in.
Obviously, Bridgewater’s is not the only significant absence in the Minnesota lineup. Running back Adrian Peterson remains out, as he is under suspension, related to his child abuse case. In his last seven games against the Packers, Peterson had gained 941 yards, so as you can imagine, he leaves a big hole in the backfield. Minnesota, however, got a big boost from rookie Jerick McKinnon last week, as he burned the Falcons for 135 yards on 18 carries. Matt Asiata, who had been filling in for Peterson, scored three touchdowns on short plays near the goal line.
Rodgers is on fire; he is from nine touchdown passes this season with only one interception. Last week he had for scoring passes, two each to Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson.
BetAnySports NFL Betting customers are well aware that there is a big difference between having Ponder and Bridgewater under center for Minnesota. On the one hand, Bridgewater has not seen Green Bay’s defensive scheme, while Ponder is at least familiar with the personnel. On the other hand, Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers is familiar with how to defend Ponder, while Bridgewater only offered roughly a game and a half of “tape.”
Ponder can run a bit, but he is a far more stationary target for pass rushers then Bridgewater, who brings a lot of mobility to the table – under normal circumstances, of course – as part of his overall package of talent, and actually had many NFL draft gurus mentioning him as a possible #1 selection as he came out of the University of Louisville.
It seems as if Minnesota may have held back a decision on Bridgewater for as long as possible, so as to force Green Bay to set up defensive schemes to deal with either quarterback.
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More About Charles Jay
CHARLES JAY grew up around the gaming business, was raised in the boxing business, and along the way has developed a colorful background through a wide range of experiences. Jay was a veteran of almost two decades actively in the boxing industry, as a writer, publicist, matchmaker, booking agent, manager, and promoter. He was engaged as editorial consultant for USA Network's "Tuesday Night Fights" for seven years, and also did some on-air work for USA. He also served as color commentator for, among others, Sunshine Network and Prime Network, and has called more than a dozen world championship fights for national and/or international television. He has been the host of numerous radio programs, including "Sportswatch with Charles Jay" on KDWN in Las Vegas, "Total Action" on WAXY 790 in Miami, and "Charles Jay's Winning Edge", syndicated into 55 markets by the American Radio Networks. For the past 20 years, he has been a professional sports handicapper, and as a consultant to the casino industry from 1993-95, helped to launch Casino Magic in Mississippi as a major venue for sports promotions. Also, he's been a casino/sports gaming columnist for a number of leading publications, including Sports Form, Casino Player, Card Player, and The Gambler. In the 2000's, he became widely known as one of the world's leading proponents and experts on the subject of boxing reform, having been asked to appear on numerous panels and speak at officials' seminars. He was the author of "Operation Cleanup" and "Operation Cleanup 2: Unfinished Business" - two critically-acclaimed e-books that represent arguably the most comprehensive and in-depth examination of boxing reform issues ever put into publication. In 2004 he published a third electronic book - "Body Shots: Outside the Ring and Inside the Game of Pro Boxing". In 2003 he was the recipient of the "Dignity" Award, in the category of "Best Sports Writer," as bestowed by the Retired Boxers Foundation.
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