Vikings Packers Betting – Packers Avenge Favre Losses From Last Season
Even if you’re not a sports betting player, you’ll be interesting in Sunday night’s matchup in Green Bay, where the Packers will host Minnesota. The Packers will once again welcome home their former legend, but it’ll be a different game from last year, when he lit them up. The Green Bay defense will come up big on Sunday.
- What:NFL betting
- When: Sunday, October 24th, 8:20 PM ET
- Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI
- Pick: Green Bay Packers -2.5
What’s On The Line
The Minnesota Vikings (2-3) managed to edge the Dallas Cowboys 24-21 at home last week, while the Packers (3-3) have now lost two in a row after falling 23-20 at home to the Miami Dolphins, their second straight week with an overtime loss. Records are thrown out the window in this NFC North showdown: it’s a division rivalry, and you may have heard somewhere that Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre used to play in Green Bay. Randy Moss also makes his return to Lambeau in a Minnesota uniform, making this the must-see game of the week.
Offensive Matchups: Vikings Packers Betting
We all know the Minnesota offense isn’t what it was last year, and Favre has been nothing short of awful this year. He was 14-of-19 for 118 yards and a touchdown against the Cowboys, but he’s had a lot on his mind, with off-field troubles piling up, and tendinitis in his elbow. All of this is hurting the productivity of Adrian Peterson as teams are stacking the box against him. The pieces are there, but Favre simply has to play better to improve this 24th-ranked offense.
The Green Bay Packers are 13th in the league offensively, but they struggled to move the chains against the Dolphins, failing to get a first down on 10 of 13 third-down opportunities. Aaron Rodgers was 18-of-33 for 188 yards, a touchdown and a pick, and he’s also without tight end Jermichael Finley, who was lost for the season with a knee injury. With Ryan Grant gone, no one is afraid of the Green Bay running game, which means Rodgers has a tough task ahead of him.
Betting Edge: Packers
Defensive Matchups: Vikings Packers Betting
The Vikings’ defense is the only reason they still have a shot at rising up the NFL betting ladder, as they rank fifth in the league. They forced a pair of critical turnovers against the Cowboys, and they completely shut down the Dallas ground game (although that’s not difficult). One alarming thing is the lack of a pass rush: the Vikings have just six sacks this season, and end Jared Allen has just one (he had 7.5 sacks in two games against the Packers last year). That has to change if the Vikings are going to beat the Packers on Sunday night.
Green Bay’s defense is ranked 15th in the NFL, but you could see they missed linebacker Clay Matthews against the Dolphins. Matthews leads the league with 8.5 sacks, but he was out last week with a strained hamstring, and the Packers didn’t register a single sack. The pass rush is the reason that the Packers can afford to go man-to-man in the secondary, because the opposing quarterback usually doesn’t have that much time to sit in the pocket when Matthews in the lineup.
Betting Edge: Vikings
Notable Injuries: Vikings Packers Betting
Safety Husain Abdullah (concussion) and cornerback Lito Sheppard (hand) are unlikely to feature, which means the Minnesota secondary will be targeted. Receiver Percy Harvin (hamstring) was limited in practice, and the Vikings need him on the field.
Cornerback Al Harris (knee) may finally be ready to join the team for the first time this year, while Finley (knee) won’t be back this year. A number of other players have minor injuries, but should be able to play for the Packers.
Betting Edge: Draw
Outlook and Pick: Vikings Packers Betting
NFL betting odds have the Packers as a 2.5-point favorite at home, and they’ve dropped three in a row against the Vikings, including a pair of losses last season at the hands of Favre. The Packers are going to have to go after Favre this week and take advantage of his sore arm. If Harvin can’t go, that doesn’t leave a lot of options for Favre. Offensively, the Packers have to at least try to get the running game off the ground, which would set up the play-action for Rodgers. This is going to be a defensive showdown, so take the under on the posted total of 44, and bet on the Packers with your online betting pick this Sunday night.
Stan’s Pick: Green Bay Packers
