Packers vs. Vikings: Updated Odds, Money Line, Spread, Props to Watch for SNF
Week 17's Sunday Night Football matchup is a classic NFC North rivalry with major playoff implications with the Green Bay Packers heading to Minnesota to take on the Vikings.
It's a loser-goes-home match for both sides on primetime. According to Next Gen Stats, The Packers will have a 55 percent chance of making the playoff field with a win, but their odds go down to one percent with a loss.
Minnesota needs the game just as badly. If they lose, their odds would go down to four percent while a win would give them a 49 percent chance to get in the playoff field.
It's the kind of matchup befitting the penultimate week of the Sunday Night Football schedule and it's sure to pique interest of fans from around the league.
Here's a look at the game from a betting perspective, looking at the line, odds and a few prop bets worth considering.
Schedule, Odds and Spread
1 of 3
Date: Sunday, December 31 at 8:20 p.m. ET
Watch: NBC/Peacock
Moneyline: Vikings -118 ($118 wager wins $100); Packers -102 ($102 wager wins $100)
Spread: Vikings -1
Over/Under: 43.5
Odds from DraftKings.
Game Preview and Prediction
2 of 3
A lot has changed on both sides of this matchup since the two teams met in Week 8.
Back then, Kirk Cousins was still playing for the Vikings and he was making the best of the offense without Justin Jefferson in the lineup. K.J. Osborn (eight catches, 99 yards), T.J. Hockenson (six catches, 88 yards, one touchdown) and Jordan Addison (seven catches 82 yards, one touchdown) all had big games without Jefferson on the way to a 24-10 win for the Vikings.
Cousins is long gone now and the Vikings have had to turn to Jaren Hall then Josh Dobbs, then Nick Mullens and have now circled back to Hall. While Dobbs had a nice hot streak, Mullens threw six interceptions over the last two games, going 0-2 in his two starts.
Fortunately, Jefferson is back. He's a game-changing presence, but the other weapons have dwindled. T.J. Hockenson is now out for the season and Jordan Addison is dealing with an ankle injury.
Hall will still have better weapons than a lot of NFL quarterbacks do, but the continuity of the offense is questionable.
The Packers are dealing with their own wide receiver depth issues. Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks were all on the injury report this week. On defense, they suspended Jaire Alexander for the game due to personal conduct involving the coin toss last week.
The lengthy injury list gives insight into the struggles of both teams right now. The Vikings have lost four of their last five. The only win was a 3-0 bore against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Packers have lost two of their last three with the only win a 33-30 shootout against the Carolina Panthers last week.
There's little evidence the Packers defense will be able to stop Minnesota. The Vikings haven't proven to be very trustworthy either, though.
Ultimately, the Vikings are facing a high degree of difficulty with another quarterback change and injuries to some of their best weapons.
Prediction: Packers +1, Under
Prop Bets to Consider
3 of 3
Tucker Kraft Over 38.5 Receiving Yards (-115)
The books don't seem to have been paying attention to how important Tucker Kraft has been to the Packers offense recently. His reception line (3.5) involves a little too much juice (-160) to take the over, but the receiving yards are low too. Kraft has averaged 60 yards per game over the last three weeks.
When Luke Musgrave went down for the season Kraft became the primary receiving tight end. He's getting around six targets a game and Christian Watson is doubtful to play. Kraft has been crushing this line and is a good bet to do it again.
Aaron Jones Over 16.5 Receiving Yards (-120)
Admittedly, this isn't a line that has been kind to Jones. He hasn't hit it since Week 10. Jones has been quiet as a receiver since coming back from an MCL sprain that held him out for a couple of week. Last week he looked like he's really recovered he had 127 yards on the ground against the Panthers.
However, the Vikings have given up 32.7 receiving yards to running backs per game. With their tendency to play aggressively and bring pressure, Jordan Love should be looking to dump the ball off to Jones a few times and his receiving production should see an uptick.
Jaren Hall Over 27.5 Rushing Yards (-115)
We haven't seen too much of Jaren Hall, but the Vikings are choosing to start him in a big game so there's a lot of confidence there. One thing he brings to the table that Nick Mullens really didn't. Hall boasted a 7.96 relative athletic score coming out of BYU and averaged 29.1 rushing yards per game in his final season with the Cougars.
Making just his second official start, he could be prone to using those legs to escape the pocket and break off a few runs.
Gambling Problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369).
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).
Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
