Don’t bet against perfect Packers

Will the Packers finish the regular season 16-0? The “No” side of the answer was lined at minus-700 before Sunday, but expect a little price slashing this week.

The Packers are 8-0 and only halfway there, and they are due for a few more scares. But in the NFL’s version of “Survivor,” Rodgers still is wearing the championship belt, and it could stay strapped around his waist for quite awhile.

“The big question right now is, who is the second-best team in the NFL? The Packers are clearly above everybody else,” Golden Nugget sports book director Tony Miller said.

Thirty of the 32 teams in the league could win or lose on any given Sunday and no one would be surprised. The exceptions are the Packers, who won’t lose anytime soon, and the Indianapolis Colts, whose chances of winning are fading fast.

Green Bay survived a wild fourth quarter to defeat the San Diego Chargers, 45-38. The accomplishment was not awe inspiring by any means because the Chargers are a .500 team after dropping three straight. It was impressive, however, in that it was the type of game that often trips a road favorite.

Off a bye and laying 5½ to 6 points, the Packers went to the West Coast and beat a desperate home underdog. Rodgers’ play was nearly flawless, and the Green Bay defense cashed in on Philip Rivers’ mistakes.

“It’s a Jekyll and Hyde league. You don’t know which teams will show up every week,” Miller said. “But the Packers are going to be tough to beat. They are so good on both sides of the ball. Rodgers’ passes are so pinpoint sharp.”

Rodgers completed 21 of 26 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns. He’s the hottest thing going right now, aside from the McRib. He’s the league’s top model quarterback, better even than Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger.

Rodgers, who tops his peers with 24 TD passes, has thrown only three interceptions, the same number Rivers threw in Sunday’s loss. Two of Rivers’ picks were returned for six.

Sharp bettors made two costly mistakes in Week 9. One was trying to beat Green Bay. The other was picking another bad spot to bet on the Colts, who got crushed 31-7 by Atlanta. The betting public deserves props for sticking with the Packers.

“The game we had a lot of liability on was the Packers with a lot of parlays,” Miller said. “We lost a little bit on that game, but it could have been a lot worse.”

The failures of Buffalo and Dallas as favorites, Miller said, “knocked out a lot of straight bets and parlays.” The New York Jets put a 27-11 beating on the Bills, who were favored by 2½ points, while the Cowboys could not cover 11 in a 23-13 victory over Seattle.

“The Cowboys not covering was good for us, but the big one was the Bills,” Miller said.

San Francisco is not quite perfect against the spread, but 7-0-1 looks pretty good. The 49ers, 4-point road favorites, easily put away Washington, 19-11.

“I want to know if the Niners are for real,” Miller said.

So, who’s No. 2 behind Green Bay? As of today, it’s not New England or Pittsburgh.

Eli Manning’s 1-yard touchdown pass with 15 seconds left rallied the New York Giants past the Patriots, 24-20. The most memorable scene came from the Giants’ locker room celebration, when coach Tom Coughlin told his team, “Are you serious? You’re 9-point underdogs and you have no chance to win.”

The Steelers, 3-point home favorites, fell to the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 on Joe Flacco’s 26-yard scoring pass with eight seconds to go. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin fell asleep at the wheel when a delay-of-game call wiped out a potential 47-yard field goal try.

The previously winless Miami Dolphins went to Kansas City and won by 28 points. Tim Tebow led the Denver Broncos to a 14-point win at Oakland. Arizona covered as a short favorite when Patrick Peterson returned a punt 99 yards for a touchdown in overtime.

On another crazy Sunday, Green Bay survived. Maybe the Packers will stumble on the road at Detroit on Nov. 24 or against the Giants on Dec. 4. But don’t bet on it.

■ BOTTOM LINES — Losing a couple football wagers can ruin your day, but losing a friend puts it in perspective. Barry Holthaus, a professional sports bettor, was found dead in his downtown Las Vegas home Sunday morning.

Holthaus, 47, was a contributor to the Review-Journal, several local radio shows and a co-host with John Kelly on EOG.com podcasts. The cause of his death is unknown. He will be missed.

Contact sports betting columnist Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. He co-hosts the “Las Vegas Sportsline” weeknights at midnight on KDWN-AM (720) and thelasvegassportsline.com.