The Green Bay Packers had a bit of a close call last week as they went up against the wide-open offense and revitalized defense of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now they face a rather intense battle with a bitter rival, as they face off against the Minnesota Vikings, the team that beat them out for the NFC North championship last year, in the NBC-televised Sunday night football matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET, and in this game the Vikings are christening (officially) their brand-new US Bank Stadium. As they are watching the game live, VietBet customers can test their handicapping skill against the football odds in real time as they utilize the considerable facilities of Live Betting Ultra.
Packers vs Vikings – Vietbet NFL Betting Line:
In the odds posted on this game by the people at VietBet, the Packers are favored on the road:
Green Bay Packers -2.5
Minnesota Vikings +2.5
Over 43 points -110
Under 43 points -110
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A Closer Look at the Green Bay Packers:
- Season record: 1-0 SU,0-1 ATS
- Green Bay is 15-8 SU in their last 23 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Green Bay’s last 16 games
- Green Bay is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games on the road
For the Packers, last Sunday was an opportunity to get Jordy Nelson back in the swing of things as a starting wide receiver. As you probably know, Nelson missed all of the 2015 campaign with a knee injury that he suffered during the pre-season. His numbers were not impressive, as he garnered 32 yards on his six catches, and almost certainly we will see better than that before long. But will it happen this week? It seems Aaron Rodgers has been losing some range on his throws; last year he posted his lowest yards-per-attempt average in many seasons, and he only threw for 5.9 yards per pass last week.
Green Bay actually gained fewer yards than the Vikings did last week – just 294 – so they’ve got some work to do as well. Eddie Lacy supposedly came into camp in pretty good shape, and he had 61 yards on the ground, but 28 of those yards happened on one carry. Rodgers, who on a percentage basis was the least-intercepted quarterback in the NFL last season, again went without a miscue, the Green Bay will have to perform a little better than they showed last week against the Jags.
Because Dom Capers is the defensive coordinator, the Packers are always going to have some kind of twists on the stop end, and they did a very good job against Jacksonville’s ground game, holding them the just 48 rushing yards on 26 carries. Whether that tells us anything about how will deal with Peterson is a subject for pure speculation. But Clay Matthews has now been shifted back to the outside linebacker spot, after spending most of last year on the inside. Defensive back Sam Shields suffered a concussion last week, so he is out, as he goes through the league’s mandated protocol.
A Closer Look at the Minnesota Vikings:
- Season record: 1-0 SU,1-0 ATS
- Minnesota is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games
- Minnesota is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
- Minnesota is 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games at home
The Vikings, as we know, have their own situation brewing at the quarterback spot. Losing Teddy Bridgewater for the season was a tough blow, and they went out and acquired Sam Bradford from the Philadelphia Eagles, and considering the price they paid for him – a first AND fourth-round draft pick – they have to be expecting him to eventually be the starter. Will that happen this Sunday night? Head coach Mike Zimmer plays these kinds of things close to the vest, but most people think we’ll see him.
The going was rough for Minnesota last week, as veteran Shaun Hill, who was the backup to Bridgewater, was at the controls. Hill completed 18 out of 33 passes and did not turn the ball over, but Minnesota did not score an offensive touchdown. There two tallies came on an interception return and a fumble return, and Adrian Peterson was held just 31 yards on 19 carries. That is very unlike him (as if we have to tell you that). The bright spot on offense was Stefon Diggs, who caught seven passes for 103 yards.
Packers vs Vikings – Takeaway:
These teams met in last year’s regular-season finale, with Minnesota chalking up a 20-13 victory at Lambeau field to win the NFC North crown. The Packers did advance to the playoffs as a wild-card team, and beat Washington in the first round, while Minnesota lost the Seattle when Blair Walsh missed what appeared to be a rather easy field-goal attempt with time running out. Walsh missed two field goals and an extra point last week against Tennessee.
This should be a typical, NFC North smash mouth defensive battle. The two rivals split their 2015 meetings and neither game exceeded a 43 point game total. The Under bet could be the smart play here.
Next up:
- Green Bay home to Detroit Sunday, September 25
- Minnesota at Carolina Sunday, September 25
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By Charles Jay
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