The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings will meet in Week 1 of the NFL season this afternoon. Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. ET from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. The game will broadcast live on CBS.
The Vikings are 1.5-point favorites over the Packers on the spread (Vikings -1.5), with the over/under set at 46.5 total points. Minnesota is a -120 moneyline favorite to win outright, while Green Bay is listed as a +100 underdog to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Packers vs Vikings predictions in my Week 1 preview of this NFC North clash.
My Packers vs Vikings Prediction
- Packers vs Vikings pick: Under 46.5 (-110)
My Packers vs Vikings best bet is on the total to stay under 46.5 points, with the best price currently available at FanDuel. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NFL odds page.
Packers vs Vikings Odds
| Packers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -115 | 46.5 -110o / -110u | +100 |
| Vikings Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -105 | 46.5 -110o / -110u | -120 |
Packers vs Vikings NFL Week 1 Preview
Green Bay Packers Betting Preview: Offensive Line Concerns
Let’s start in the trenches, because that’s where this game is going to be decided.
The Packers are rolling out what is arguably a bottom-five offensive line in the NFL right now (No. 28 in Brandon Anderson's O-Line rankings). Outside of right tackle, there are huge red flags across the board.
They're shuffling guys around, starting Jacob Monk at guard alongside Sean Rhyan and Aaron Banks, and putting Jordan Morgan out there to try and hold things together.
That is a terrifying proposition when you are going up against Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores in Week 1.
Flores is a defensive chameleon. He spent all summer designing exotic pressures just for this matchup. Last year, we saw him abandon schemes that drop eight in favor of heavy, relentless blitz packages.
Jordan Love’s metrics fall off a cliff when he is pressured. Without Josh Jacobs in the backfield to help alleviate that pressure or establish a dominant ground game, the Packers are going to be very reliant on Love making hot reads against a defense that is designed to create chaos.
Minnesota Vikings Betting Preview: Expect Growing Pains
On the other side of the ball, we have Kyler Murray making his first start in this new Vikings offense. Whenever you have a quarterback operating a brand new scheme in Week 1, there are going to be growing pains.
But the bigger issue here is the matchup.
Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon was Murray's head coach last year — Gannon knows Murray's tendencies, reads, and weaknesses better than anyone in the league.
Murray has been one of the least accurate deep-ball throwers in the NFL over the past three years. Gannon knows he wants to use his legs and rely on explosive, off-script plays.
I fully expect Green Bay to keep everything in front of them, bottle up Murray's scrambling lanes, and dare him to beat them with methodical, intermediate throws.
While the Vikings' defense has some talent questions in the front seven — relying heavily on Dallas Turner to take the next step — Flores masks so much of that with his scheme.
Plus, bringing in savvy veterans like Harrison Smith and Kyle Van Noy on the back end ensures the Vikings won't blow assignments in coverage when the blitz doesn't hit home.
Packers vs Vikings Prediction, Betting Analysis
This was the very first bet I made in the offseason. I love this Under.
Historically, Week 1 divisional Unders are cash cows (18-7 over the last four years).
We have a vulnerable Green Bay offensive line walking into a buzzsaw of Brian Flores blitzes, and a rusty Kyler Murray operating a new offense against a defensive coordinator who has a book on him.
Both of these offenses will likely look disjointed out of the gates. I'm taking the Under in what should be a sluggish, defensive rock fight.
Pick: Under 46.5 (-110)
