The final match of a busy and important Sunday in Week 17 of the NFL regular season comes in the Sunday Night Football, which this week is a battle between the two best teams in the NFC North when the Green Bay Packers host the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field.
This would usually be the last regular season game slot of the season but the extra game this term means we have another week after this. Green Bay will be looking for a win which will keep them in control of the number one seed in the NFC while the Vikings need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers set the standard in the NFC and if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys lose earlier in the day, Aaron Rodgers and his men have the chance to wrap up the number one seed with a win here. They will be eager to win either way in order to keep that elite position in their own hands heading into next week as only the best record in the Conference is guaranteed the week off, which in Covid times and after a season with an extra game could be like gold dust.
The Packers go into this match off the back of a four match winning burst since Rodgers returned from his Covid absence, but in the last two they have allowed their opponent to hang around and while that hasn’t been costly, a play here or there would have left them sweating a little more. That is a concern heading into the playoffs so it would do Green Bay a world of good if they can start dominating sides on defence, or at least keeping them at bay for both halves rather than one.
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Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings head into this match controlling their own destiny in the race for the wildcard spots in the NFC but that is going to be heavily tested here. It was going to be a tough assignment going to Lambeau Field in this situation anyway but they go there with their number one quarterback Kirk Cousins ruled out as he has been placed on the Covid-19 list. That means it will be Sean Mannion leading the Vikings on primetime which doesn’t feel like a positive combination.
You would think that will mean the Vikings go on a diet of Dalvin Cook throughout this match so it will be interesting to see if the Minnesota offensive line can open up the holes for him to keep them competitive. They will know that Green Bay have allowed teams to hang around this season but they will also know that their defence has done exactly the same thing. That has to change here if the Vikings are going to have any chance.
Betting
I understand the points line dropping like a stone since Kirk Cousins was ruled out but Green Bay have allowed some ordinary quarterbacks to stay around and put points up on the board against them in recent times so although Sean Mannion isn’t going to be given a lot of passing plays to execute in this match, a simple playbook might well be enough to see the Vikings stay more competitive than people expect them to be, especially if Dalvin Cook can run riot in the early stages.
Even if the Vikings aren’t all that competitive on offense, their defence has been gashed in recent times. They have conceded at least 23 points in five of their last six matches and that includes to the Detroit Lions who prior to that were terrible offensively. Their defence, especially in the backfield, doesn’t look to be operating all that well and with the weather set to be fair at Lambeau I expect Rodgers to feed on that. While I would rather Cousins have suited up and be on the line as it was, I still see potential in over 41pts here.
Tips
WON – Back Over 41pts for a 3/10 stake at 1.80 with Coral
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