The “Monday Night Football” game with the Green Bay Packers visiting the Minnesota Vikings is being hyped as a big NFC North battle.
But it’s not all it’s being made out to be. The Packers can still clinch the division by winning at lowly Detroit in Week 17 even if they lose this game, and the Vikings clinched at least a wild-card spot with the Rams’ loss Saturday.
The Vikings opened as 4- to 4.5-point home favorites and were up to -5.5 at most books as of Sunday afternoon. It’s kind of understandable, with the Vikings 6-0 straight up and 4-2 against the spread at home this season and a lot of people thinking this is a must-win game for them. Instead it gives us more value on the Packers as our VSiN Top Play.
I’m actually not very high on the Packers, as their offense has been inconsistent and I’ve thought their defense has been overrated, but they’re still 11-3. And even though they don’t need to win this game for the NFC North title, they have just as much motivation as they still have a shot at a first-round bye and possibly home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
Objectively, I have this as a coin flip to win straight up — just like their first meeting in Week 2, which the Packers won 21-16 in Green Bay. Need more reasons to back the Packers and fade the Vikings? Minnesota RB Dalvin Cook ran for 154 yards and a TD in that first game but will miss the rematch, and let’s not forget that QB Kirk Cousins is famously bad in big games, including an all-time-worst 0-8 on “Monday Night Football.”
I wouldn’t be surprised by the same result as the first meeting, but it’s nice to have the bonus points with the Packers as this could very well come down to a field goal either way.
THE PLAY: Packers 5.5.