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The Green Bay Packers host the New Orleans Saints this evening in Wisconsin in the first game on the 2011 NFL schedule. Green Bay, as you may recall, won Super Bowl 2011. The Saints are recent winners as well, taking home the Lombardi Trophy after the 2009 season.
This should be a pretty good game from a fan's perspective. We should see some big points, as Andrew Sharp pointed out earlier today:
The last time these two teams clashed in November of 2008 they combined for 80 points, turning in the fifth straight OVER result in a Packers vs Saints matchup. And none of those OVER plays were squeakers - the combined scores of those last five meetings were 80, 61, 55, 55, and 57 points.
It's no wonder, then, that oddsmakers tracked by SB Nation's lines provider Odds Shark have gone high with the OVER/UNDER for Thursday's contest - it sits at 48 points at the online shop, with the users at OddsShark sticking with the trends and going with the OVER at a rate of 71%.
So, who ya got tonight? I'm taking Packers. Super Bowl winners don't usually lose their first game of the next season. Plus, you know, Green Bay is really really good.
This is your first official regular season open thread of the season.
Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 8, 2011; 8:00pm ET
Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
TV Schedule
National: NBC
TV Distribution Map: The506.com
Radio Schedule
Packers: WTMJ & STATEWIDE RADIO NETWORK
Saints: WWL 870AM, 105.3 FM