Forget Rodgers, it's the Summer of Love for Packers

We've almost made it through the longest, most stagnant week on the sports calendar, as MLB returns Friday for a full slate of action following the All-Star break. Before we jump back into baseball for the home stretch, though, let's look ahead to some NFL win total bets with teams reporting to training camp starting next week.

NFL win total Thursday

Green Bay Packers over 7.5 wins (-110 DraftKings)

Everyone is ready to jump off the Packers bandwagon now that Aaron Rodgers is out of town, but we're going the opposite way. Rodgers had one of his worst seasons as a pro last season, and Green Bay still found a way to win eight games.

This is still an above-average roster led by an above-average head coach, and the NFC North isn't going to be a terribly challenging division in 2023-24. As long as Jordan Love can avoid mistakes and get the ball to his playmakers consistently, we think the Packers can reach nine or 10 wins and compete for the division title.

For more on the Packers, check out Griffin Carroll's breakdown for the upcoming season.

Los Angeles Rams under 6.5 wins (-115 DK)

As Carroll detailed earlier this month, the Rams have disaster written all over them this season. Los Angeles has 34 rookies on the roster heading into training camp, and a ton of them are going to be thrust into the starting lineup in Week 1 because of how thin this roster is.

Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp are still top-end talents at their respective positions, but they can't be trusted to stay healthy after what we saw last year. If Stafford misses significant time again this season, this team has the potential to finish with the worst record in the NFL. 

Las Vegas Raiders under 6.5 wins (-104 FanDuel)

Here's another team that could challenge for the worst record in the league this season. 

The quarterback position took a hit with injury-prone Jimmy Garoppolo replacing Derek Carr, the defense is still a disaster aside from Maxx Crosby, and Josh McDaniels has proven to be one of the most incapable head coaches in the NFL. We wouldn't be surprised if he fails to make it through the entire season.

As for the schedule, the division is brutally tough with the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos all entering the season with Super Bowl aspirations. The Raiders might be favored in four or five games all year, and that's only if Garoppolo can stay healthy. This is an easy under, and Carroll agrees.

In the news ...

USMNT loses to Panama in Gold Cup semifinals — The United States dropped out of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in disappointing fashion Wednesday night. Team USA was -170 to defeat Panama in regular time, but both teams went scoreless in the first 90 minutes. After both sides scored once in extra time, Panama pulled off the upset with a 5-4 advantage in penalty kicks. Panama will face Mexico in the Gold Cup championship Sunday.

LeBron James announces his return for 21st NBA season — During the ESPY Awards on Wednesday night, James announced on stage that he will be returning for his 21st NBA season after briefly contemplating retirement. LeBron has always said he wants to play with his son, Bronny, who isn't eligible to enter the NBA Draft until next year, so this announcement isn't exactly a shock. The Los Angeles Lakers are +1200 to win the NBA title in 2024.

New York Jets selected for HBO's 'Hard Knocks' — On Wednesday morning, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the NFL and NFL Films selected the Jets to serve as this year's "Hard Knocks" team. With Aaron Rodgers now in the fold, this is the perfect choice to revive a television show that's been only mediocre for the last few years. The Jets are +1800 to win the Super Bowl this season.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Jack Dougherty