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There is little to decide in this year’s playoff hunt other than some seeding issues and the winner of the NFC North as the Vikings and the Packers square off at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. At stake is the NFC North title and a playoff home game next week in the final flex schedule game of the year. The Packers opened as field goal favorites but that ship has sailed as Green Bay moneyhas sent the line to -3.5 with total also seeing major action dropping from 45 to 42. While no precipitation is in the forecast, windchill will have the temperature at game time in the teens. 

Minnesota has quietly had an excellent season and could even sneak off as a division winner. Teddy Bridgewater (66%, 3132,14/8) has proven to be an effective game manager that can make an occasional play in his sophomore season. Adrian Peterson leads the league in rushing (1418 yards, 10 TDs) after sitting out most of 2014. Stefon Diggs (51, 712, 4) and TE Kyle Rudolphare the main targets of the limited Vike passing game. The Viking defense has been decent and very tough in the red zone as it is 26th in yards allowed but just 15th in points allowed. The team has 38 sacks but just 26 turnovers. 

It’s been a strange year for the Green Bay Packers. They could finish with 11 wins despite former stalwarts have very pedestrian years at best. That includes Aaron Rodgers who has completed just 60% of his passes for 3530 yards with a 30/7 TD/Int ratio. The offense has never gotten over the loss of Jordy Nelson and has failed to fire a number of times. Oft injured Eddie Lacy (742, 3 TDs) had nowhere near the breakout year that was expected from hi. James Starks has done a great job as backup with 500+ yards. Randall Cobb(73, 792, 6) has shown to be a No.2 wide out and bringing back James Hones (49, 788, 10) has been a savior. The Pack defense hasalmost identical numbers to the Vikings with 40 sacks and 26 turnovers. Ha Ha Dix has 79 tackles from his safety spot which is 25 stops more than next in line, no good when you are a free safety. 

Green Bay has dominated the series going 10-1-1 L12 in the series including a 30-13 spanking of the Vikes in the Twin Cities, earlier in the year. They are 5-0-1 in the L6 here with four of the five wins by nine or more points. That said, Green Bay is off it’s worst performanceof the year, a 9 sack 4 turnover mauling at the hands of the Cardinals last week in Arizona. Minnesota has won its last two scoring 89points. The Vikes have been an ATM machine going 12-3 ATS, covering five straight on the road and and are 5-1 as a dog this year. TheVikes have been doing all this while playing hurt and grinding it out. Three starters return in defense at just the right time so expect a muchbetter performance by the visitors than the first time around.