NFL sports betting nears its last call Sunday with the NFC Championship Game as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel to Green Bay to take on the Packers. The BetUS Buccaneers vs Packers injury report details who’s hurt coming into Sunday’s game.
| Game: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13-5) vs Green Bay Packers (14-3) Location: Lambeau Field Time: 3:05 p.m. ET Television: FOX |
The sportsbook opened the Green Bay Packers as four-point favorites, which flashed down to 3½ almost immediately. Since then, money still came for the Bucs, pushing the juice on the underdog up to -115. The total opened at 51, and has seen some two-way betting that moved it between there and 50½.
Buccaneers vs Packers Injury Report Betting Lines
| Team | Point Spread | Moneyline | Over/Under | Team Total |
| Buccaneers | +3½ -115 | +150 | 51 | 23½ |
| Packers | -3½ -105 | -170 | 51 | 27 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Being the team given the shortest amount of time between games this week, the Buccaneers held only a walkthrough Wednesday.
Most of the attention went to WR Antonio Brown whose knee injury kept him limited in performance during last Sunday’s win over the New Orleans Saints, and was serious enough to warrant an MRI. Coach Bruce Arians expressed optimism at first, but that was as much a reflection that Brown escaped a more serious injury than on his availability this week. He did not practice on Wednesday. Browns’ status should be the focus of most of the NFL news for this game, so his updates will be hard to avoid.
New Entries
Two other players returned to the report with the same injuries they sported the week before. The team listed RB Ronald Jones (quadriceps) and WR Mike Evans (knee) as limited in practice. Though tagged as questionable, this is the same pattern as last week so it’s not alarming.
WR Chris Godwin reappears on the NFL injury report this week, but for a new body part. Instead of his hip limiting him, this time it’s his quadriceps. He too was limited on Wednesday and listed as questionable.
Two more new entries on the report this week include CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (quadriceps) and S Jordan Whitehead (knee). They too were limited and questionable.
The only other absentee at Wednesday’s practice, CB Jason Pierre-Paul, listed with a knee injury but was also following his usual veteran’s day rest pattern.
Tampa Bay lost special-teams’ ILB Jack Cichy to a fractured arm last game. He’s now been moved to the injured reserve, and the Bucs signed practice-squad Deone Bucannon to the active roster as his replacement.
Designated to return from injured reserve from a fractured leg, NT Vita Vea reportedly looks good after a four-month absence. He’s practicing, “looks good” and is expected to be activated in time to play on Sunday.
They activated ILB Kevin Minter from the NFL COVID-IR (IR-C) after he sat out last Sunday. Also hopeful to return, backup DE Jeremiah Ledbetter (calf) practiced in full on Wednesday and no longer carries an injury designation. He too was sidelined last Sunday.
Green Bay Packers
Green Bay already carried a handful of players throughout last week as questionable, since they had limited practice. This week, they bring another handful on board, and list 10 players as questionable, all having limited practice on Wednesday.
The most concerning name is RB A.J. Dillon who left last Saturday’s win over the Rams with a quad strain. He’s worth monitoring during the practice week.
Also new to the injury report: kicker Mason Crosby who injured his shoulder when he was tacked on a bad PAT snap, ILB Krys Barnes (thumb), and RB Jamaal Williams (ankle).
Returning
A couple of other players return to the injury report but for new ailments: OLB Za’Darius Smith, this time for a thumb injury, far from the previous ankle, and WR Allen Lazard for a wrist issue, after missing some time earlier this season for an abdomen injury.
Three others return with the same injuries and practice routines as last week: Equanimeous St. Brown (knee), TE Marcedes Lewis (knee) and RT Rick Wagner (knee).
Again, all of these players were limited in Wednesday’s practice and are designated questionable. The same goes for DE Kingsley Keke, for whom that’s an improvement as he is looking to be removed from concussion protocol for the last month.
The Packers shuffled a few backups from injured reserve. The next week could decide the playing fate for LB James Burgess, CB Parry Nickerson, and Kabion Ento. Burgess has the most playing time, but the team is apparently shopping for a cornerback and considering re-signing free agent Tramon Willams (for a third tour of short-term duty).
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