Packers vs. Vikings Point Spread: NFL Week 1 Odds, Prediction
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Jeremy Perry
The Packers finished with the most wins in the NFC and won division for a second straight season, but again flopped in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Vikings have a new sideline boss as Kevin O’Connell now takes over. Can he get the new era off on the right foot and send a statement to Aaron Rodgers and company?
NFL Week 1 Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Packers typically start well as they’ve covered five of their last six September games. They’re also 5-2 ATS in their last seven Week 1 contests. However, they are only 1-4 ATS in their last five as a favorite.
As for the Vikings, they are 20-7-1 ATS in their last 28 as a home underdog. Over has cashed in seven of their last eight games overall but if their defense is, in fact, improved, those total trends could turnaround.
Green Bay Packers
Considering the Packers finished with the most wins in the NFC last season and looked like they were built to contend, they endured quite the rocky offseason. They had to convince Aaron Rodgers to ease off his trade demands and once they convinced him to come back, saw star wideout Davante Adams walk in free agency.
The good news is that the Packers should start off against a defense that is somewhere between “in shambles” and “rebuilding” when the visit Minnesota in Week 1. The Vikings defense ranked third-worst last season in terms of total yards – including a whopping 130.7 rushing yards per game. The Packers have some questions at receiver but if they’re able to go on the road and find balance with their ground game, they’ll be just fine in this one.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings took a lot of flack for finishing 8-9 last season but with a little bit of hindsight, we can see that they weren’t so bad. Of their nine losses, seven were to playoff teams. A more manageable strength of schedule could see them rocket up the standings but they’re 16th in that metric and it doesn’t start off easy as they host the Packers in Week 1.
Rodgers is always a problem for the Vikings as he’s 16-10-1 against them. That includes wins in five of the last seven meetings. The hope for Minnesota is that devoting many of their early draft picks – like safety Lewis Cine and corner Andrew Booth Jr. – gets them in a better position. Stealing away pass rusher Za’Darius Smith from the Packers should help as well.
The underdog has fared well in recent meetings, cashing in four of the last five, and this feels like a spot where it could happen again.
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