Well, this escalated quickly.

What was supposed to be a Saturday night showdown between two playoff-caliber teams has turned into the Malik Willis vs Tyler Huntley Invitational. Both starting quarterbacks are now expected to miss tonight's Ravens-Packers game, giving us one of the strangest betting propositions of the season.

The Quick Hit

• What happened: Jordan Love ruled OUT (concussion), Lamar Jackson doubtful (back)
• The starters: Malik Willis for Green Bay, Tyler Huntley for Baltimore
• The line: Packers -3.5 | Total: 38.5
• Why you should care: Both teams have playoff implications, and neither has their franchise QB

Jordan Love Is Done for Saturday

The Packers officially ruled Love out on Friday after he failed to clear concussion protocol. He took a hit in last Saturday's overtime loss to the Bears and hasn't been the same since.

Love was estimated as a non-participant in Wednesday's walkthrough and didn't practice Thursday or Friday. The "questionable" tag was basically a formality. Everyone knew he wasn't playing.

Enter Malik Willis.

Willis has started two games for the Packers across the last two seasons and is 2-0 in those starts. He's thrown 52 completions on 68 passes for a 77% completion rate, with 684 yards and five touchdowns. The numbers are genuinely good, even if the sample size is small.

Lamar Is Almost Certainly Out Too

Lamar Jackson got kneed in the back by Patriots safety Craig Woodson last Sunday and hasn't looked right since. He struggled to walk out of the locker room after the game and slumped against a locker during his media session.

He was listed as doubtful on Friday's injury report, which in NFL terms means "not playing unless something miraculous happens." Tyler Huntley is preparing to start.

Huntley is 1-0 as a starter this season and has appeared in four games overall, throwing for 319 yards and a touchdown while adding 91 yards on the ground. He's a capable backup, but he's not Lamar Jackson.

What This Means for Betting

The line has already adjusted. Green Bay opened around -4.5 earlier in the week when it was expected Love might miss but Lamar would play. Now that both are out, the Packers are at -3.5.

The total has cratered to 38.5, which is one of the lowest of the week. Nobody expects fireworks when two backup quarterbacks are managing game scripts.

Here's the thing: Malik Willis might actually be better equipped for this situation than Tyler Huntley. Willis has more arm talent, the Packers have better weapons, and Green Bay is playing at home. Matt LaFleur also has a track record of scheming around limited quarterback play.

Huntley is more of a game manager. He'll hand off to Derrick Henry and try not to lose the game. But the Ravens' defense has been inconsistent, and without Lamar's threat to create explosions, Baltimore becomes incredibly predictable.

The Playoff Implications

Green Bay has already clinched a playoff spot after Detroit's Christmas Day collapse. The Packers are now playing for seeding, not survival.

Baltimore needs a miracle. The Ravens are 7-8 and need to win their last two games while also getting help from the Steelers losing out. Even with a win tonight, Baltimore misses the playoffs if Pittsburgh beats Cleveland on Sunday.

The desperation angle favors the Ravens, but desperation doesn't throw touchdowns. Tyler Huntley does, and he's not particularly good at it.

The Bottom Line

Malik Willis vs Tyler Huntley wasn't on anyone's bingo card, but here we are. The Packers at -3.5 feels like the right side. Willis has been competent when called upon, LaFleur knows how to hide his weaknesses, and Green Bay has the home-field advantage.

The under at 38.5 is also very much in play. Neither backup is going to light up the scoreboard, and both teams will likely lean on their running games.

Kickoff is 8:00 PM ET on Peacock. Prepare for a lot of handoffs.