The Vikings (12-3) head to Lambeau field to take on the Packers (7-8) in Week 17 in an NFC North matchup with playoff implications.
Minnesota already clinched the division title and a postseason berth, while the Packers are looking to sneak their way into the postseason through a series of lucky breaks that also likely requires two more wins to close out the season.
The last time the Packers missed the playoffs was 2018, while the last time the Vikings made the playoffs was 2019.
The Vikings are tied with the Bills and the Chiefs for the second-best record in the league, but they have yet to win in a blowout. Of their 12 wins, half have been decided by three or fewer points. However, their 23-7 win over Green Bay in Week 1 marks their largest margin of victory this season.
Kirk Cousins has no shortage of weapons, but Justin Jefferson is the star. Arguably the NFL’s best receiver, Jefferson’s 1,756 yards through 15 games is simply on another level. Jefferson recently broke Randy Moss’s franchise single-season receiving record of 1,632 yards, and he’s on pace to shatter more with an average of more than 117 yards per game this year. Tight end T.J. Hockenson and receiver Adam Thielen round out Cousins’s weapons, while running back Dalvin Cook continues to deliver. Cooks’ 1,106 rushing yards rank sixth in the NFL and he should enjoy success versus a Packers team allowing the sixth-most ground yards per game this season (144.6). The Vikings average 25.2 points per game (seventh).
Aaron Rodgers has had a carousel of inexperience at wide receiver this season, and he may be without rookie receiver Christian Watson, who currently leads the team with nine total touchdowns. The Vikings have struggled versus the pass, though, and Rodgers should be able to connect with Romeo Doubs, Allan Lazard, Randall Cobb or tight end Robert Tonyan versus the team that has allowed the most passing yards per game this year (281.5). It’s no secret this Green Bay offense has struggled but the run game should be solid with a talented tandem of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon, who have been splitting carries more evenly as of late, and this could be the right setup at home to get back on track.
Moneyline: Vikings (+145) | Packers (-175)
Spread: MIN +3.5 (-118) | GB -3.5 (+100)
Total: 48.5 – Over (-110) | Under (-110)
Game Info: Jan. 1, 2023 | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS
Vikings Straight-Up Record: 12-3
Vikings Against The Spread Record: 6-8-1
Packers Straight-Up Record: 7-8
Packers Against The Spread Record: 7-8
Bet on Vikings-Packers at SI Sportsbook
Odds and Betting insights
Vikings’ games have gone the total 10 times this year, while Green Bay’s games have hit the over only seven times.
The Vikings are 1-2 against the spread (ATS) as a road underdog, while the Packers are 2-3 ATS as a home favorite.
The Vikings have already clinched a playoff berth and could rest their starters early, while the Packers will be playing with all their might to the very end.
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