The Green Bay Packers have won four straight to pull in to a tie for the final NFC Wild Card spot with two games remaining on their regular season schedule. The Packers will need to win out and receiver some help in the form of another loss for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in order to get in but right now their focus remains on taking it one win at a time continuing this week when they host the Minnesota Vikings.
Moneyline: Packers -320
Handicap/Spread Odds: Packers -6.5
Total O/U: 43.5
Last 5 Meetings: (Road/Home – Spread/Total)
| 09/18/16 | GB 14 – MIN 17 | MIN 1.5 | U 43 |
| 01/03/16 | MIN 20 – GB 13 | MIN 3 | U 43.5 |
| 11/22/15 | GB 30 – MIN 13 | GB 1 | U 45 |
| 11/23/14 | GB 24 – MIN 21 | MIN 7.5 | U 50 |
| 10/02/14 | MIN 10 – GB 42 | GB -8.5 | O 46.5 |
On The Vikings Side of the Ball (7-7 Record, 8-6 ATS)
The Vikings are coming off their first double-digit loss since Week 8 after losing 34-6 to the Indianapolis Colts last week. Andrew Luck threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns while Frank Gore torched the Minnesota defense on the ground with 101 rushing yards. The once-dominant Vikings’ defense has looked absolutely terrible and it won’t be easy to bounce back on the road in the frozen tundra at Lambeau Field this week. Meanwhile, running back Adrian Peterson looked terrible in his return last week as he was limited to 22 yards on six carries. Peterson maintains he will be ready for this week but with the cold and an inefficient line in front of him it’s hard to imagine his numbers being all that much better. Meanwhile, Sam Bradford threw for 291 yards and an interception and was sacked five times in last week’s loss to Indianapolis and now he will have to deal with the freezing conditions in Wisconsin.
Last 5 Results:
| 12/18/16 | IND | L 6-34 | L -5 | U 44.5 |
| 12/11/16 | @JAC | W 25-16 | W -3 | O 38 |
| 12/01/16 | DAL | L 15-17 | W 3 | U 43.5 |
| 11/24/16 | @DET | L 13-16 | L 1.5 | U 42 |
| 11/20/16 | ARI | W 30-24 | W -2 | O 39.5 |
On The Packers Side of the Ball (8-6 Record, 7-6-1 ATS)
The emergence of Ty Montgomery at the running back position was the biggest story for Green Bay last week as he rushed for 162 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. Montgomery has provided the balance the Packers offense needs and it showed again in last week’s 30-27 win over the Chicago Bears. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers survived the fourth-coldest game in the history of Soldier Field with 252 passing yards but he was sacked four times. Rodgers needs to get the ball out of his hands sooner and it would help if his wide receivers would do a better job getting open and catching balls. The Green Bay defense gave up 27 points to the Bears but they did record three interceptions and a sack on Matt Barkley. The Packers should be able to key in on Bradford this week unless Peterson proves he can be a consistent threat on the ground again.
Last 5 Results:
| 12/18/16 | @CHI | W 30-27 | L -4.5 | O 40 |
| 12/11/16 | SEA | W 38-10 | W 3 | O 47 |
| 12/04/16 | HOU | W 21-13 | W -6.5 | U 44.5 |
| 11/28/16 | @PHI | W 27-13 | W 4 | U 47 |
| 11/20/16 | @WAS | L 24-42 | L 3 | O 48 |
Quick Analysis
Green Bay is 5-2 at home this season including a 4-2-1 mark against the spread and they should have an even bigger advantage at home in the cold. The Vikings have managed to keep games close despite their second-half slide but after a blowout loss to Indianapolis they will be in tough to bounce back on the road this week.
Prediction
After opening up as a seven-point favorite, the line fell below that key number to Packers -6.5 and as long as it stays there, it makes a lot of sense to jump on it. Green Bay should be able to take care of business in a must-win game at home against a Minnesota side that was embarrassed at home by the Colts last week. It’s really just a tail of two teams heading in opposite directions as the Packers are red-hot right now while the Vikings have been ice cold since their season-opening five-game winning streak ended. Taking points with an indoor team that’s now on the road in the cold isn’t particularly enticing. Look for the Packers to win. This is a good spot to play a teaser but the Packers should be able to cover a touchdown regardless.
Pick: Packers -6.5
Note: The betting odds are subject to change throughout the week leading up to kick-off, so please be aware of the possibility of line movements.
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