The National Folks Picking the Vikings over Packers
The Minnesota Vikings (12-3) are three-point underdogs three days before a showdown with the Green Bay Packers (7-8) in Week 17.
The Packers toppled the Miami Dolphins in Week 16, 26-20, granting Green Bay a reasonable path to the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers and friends must beat the Vikings and Bears in the next two weeks and hope the Washington Commanders lose one game. The Vikings outlasted the New York Giants with a walk-off field goal last weekend.
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According to NFLPickWatch, a website that logs NFL experts’ weekly picks, about 52% of folks believe Green Bay will take down Minnesota at Lambeau Field on Sunday. The Vikings have a 57-64-3 (.471) all-time record against the Packers.
Several notable personalities forecast a Vikings win over the Packers, though, as the Vikings seek to effectively end Green Bay’s season. About a month ago, the Packers were 4-8, seemingly dead in the water, but have raced back to relevance. The Vikings can end the relevance on Sunday.
The National Folks Picking the Vikings over Packers
As of Thursday, these individuals predict Minnesota sending the Packers to a 7-9 record:
- BettingPros Consensus
- Mike Clay of ESPN
- Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report
- FiveThirtyEight.com
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk
- Mike Goldich of SI.com
- Adam Rank of NFL.com
- Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com
- Nick Shook of NFL.com
- Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report
- Colleen Wolfe of NFL.com
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports picked the Packers in Week 17 and noted, “This is a huge game for the Packers. If they win out, they can be a playoff team. The Vikings still have a chance at the top seed in the conference. But survival is more motivating than a seed. The Packers lost to the Vikings earlier this year, but I think Aaron Rodgers will have a field day against a bad Vikings defense. Packers win it.”
Bleacher Report wrote about the matchup, “I expect the Packers to pull every single trick out of their bag. If the Packers win out and get a loss by the Commanders or two losses by the Giants, they’ll make the playoffs.”
Greg Rosenthal from NFL.com predicted, “The battle of narratives collide when the team ‘no one wants to face in the playoffs’ squares off against the team ‘worse than its record.’ The Packers defense has improved lately, but the Vikings are built to end this Green Bay story before it gets started.”
The Vikings must win over the Packers to keep hold of the No. 2 seed in the NFC. The San Francisco 49ers have rarely lost after landing Christian McCaffrey via trade and could easily snag the two-seed if Minnesota falters.
Justin Jefferson also resumes his pursuit for 2,000 receiving yards, a feat never achieved in NFL history. He needs 122 yards per game to accomplish the mark and must avoid quiet games versus the Packers and Bears.
If the Vikings are triumphant, they’ll be 13-3 in a season for the first time since 2017.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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