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Packers vs. Chargers Gambling & Week 1 NFL Free Prediction (PreSeason)

NFL Pre-Season Football – Green Bay vs San Diego Preview

Well, it is that time of the year again. The NFL season is rapidly approaching, and with that comes the first slate of preseason action.

As usual, we won’t see a much of the projected starters for more than the one series over the next few weeks. Instead, this is where we will observe some of the younger guns attempting to seal their spot on the roster, as well as watching some veterans trying to hold on for one more season.

When: Sunday, 4:15 PM EST
Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
TV: ESPN
LINE: -1 (Chargers), O/U 38

And it all begins on Thursday, with the Green Bay Packers traveling to sunny southern California to play the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium.

If this were a regular season game, the match-up between 2011 NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and San Diego’s Phillip Rivers would be a lot more interesting to say the least.

Nevertheless, there will still be plenty of position battles going on. The first being some pretty big ones for Green Bay fans.

The backup quarterback position is wide open now that Matt Flynn has taken his act to the west coast. The two remaining arms on the roster are Graham Harrell and B.J. Coleman.

Neither of which has even taken a snap in a regular season game before, and with Coleman being a rookie, that should come as no surprise.

It will be interesting to see however, who steps up between the two of them, and grabs the backup slot that could likely be decided in this matchup.

Another battle for the Packers involves the running game.

At the moment, Green Bay has five running backs on the roster that all have three years or less of experience in the NFL.

Obviously, there is not a whole lot of experience in the backfield this season behind James Starks, who came into camp as the undisputed starter. However, the trio of Brandon Saine, Alex Green, and Marc Tyler, will all be fighting for carries behind Starks, with Saine leading the way. [soliloquy id=”82219″]

That could mean one of two things. He will not see much action on Thursday, or will see most of the action against the Chargers to see how he holds up.

The final roster fight involves San Diego’s receiving core.

The number one slot seems to be amid Robert Meachem and Malcom Floyd. While I am sure the Chargers would like Floyd to finally take hold of the lead role, there has to be concerns about the numerous injuries he has endured. Nevertheless, Floyd finished last season with a flurry of good performances, so it is not out of the question for him to stave off the newcomer.

The preseason is a great time to get excited for the football season. The competitions for roster spots alone make the games worth watching.

When I look at this matchup, I think the same thing when it comes to most preseason games. It’s really a toss-up.

Top to bottom, these teams are evenly matched. Offensively, Green Bay takes it, but I have to give the edge to San Diego on defense.

Matt’s Free Prediction: Chargers 28, Green Bay 24 — Usually it all comes down to the third and fourth quarters in these games. The team who is playing veterans and guys who know the system, tend to win. I think San Diego holds the depth advantage at the skilled positions, and with a better defense, should give edge out a close win at home here.

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By Cappers Picks

Articles on CappersPicks.com are written by Q (the Head Honcho) at Cappers Picks or by our resident "in house" handicapper Razor Ray Monohan! Enjoy the free picks folks! "Pad that bankroll one day at a time!"