Packers Look to Stay in Playoff Hunt

One of the highlight’s of this Saturday’s special Christmas Eve NFL schedule is a 1 p.m. (ET) tilt on FOX between the 7-7 Minnesota Vikings and the 8-6 Green Bay Packers. BetAnySports opened the Packers as seven-point home favorites. The total was been set at 43.5. The Line is now Green Bay -6.5 and the total is at 44. Minnesota is only be a game in back of the Packers in the NFC North standings. In reality the actual gap between these two teams is as wide as ever. The Vikings have lost three of their last four games straight-up. Last Sunday’s 34-6 beatdown at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts was the low-point. They failed to cover as five-point home favorites with BetAnySports closing line. They fell to 3-6 against the spread in their last nine games. The total has stayed UNDER in three of their last four contests.

Vikings Look to get Peterson on Track

The only good news for Minnesota in Sunday’s loss was the return of All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson. After missing most of the season with a knee injury he is back quicker than expected. Unfortunately, he had nowhere to run with just 22 yards on six carries. Vikings’ quarterback Sam Bradford completed 32-of-42 attempts for 291 yards. He could not get this offense into the end zone however. Minnesota is now ranked 31^st in the NFL in yards per game (301.5) and 25^th in average points scored (18.9). The Packers are headed in the complete opposite direction with a SU 4-0 run in their last four games while going 3-1 ATS. They failed to cover in Sunday’s 30-27 win on the road against Chicago as 4.5-point favorites with BetAnySports and the total has now gone OVER in six of their last eight games. On the year, Green Bay is 6-7-1 ATS overall, but it improves to 4-2-1 ATS in its first seven games played at home.

Both Teams Struggle at Holding Leads

After letting a 17-point fourth-quarter lead over the Bears slip away, veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers put his team in position to win with a 60-yard pass completion to Jordy Nelson. This set up the game winning field goal in the final minute of play. This has not been one of Rodgers best seasons in his storied NFL career, but he continues to find ways to win games. Green Bay is ranked 10^th in the NFL in yards per game (364.6) and it falls to 17^th in scoring with 25.9 points a game. The Vikings drew first blood in the season series with a 17-14 victory in Week 2 as slight one-point underdogs at home, but it is Green Bay’s turn to even the score with so much on the line for both teams as far as their postseason plans. Lay the 6.5-points with BetAnySports and take the Packers to cover.

Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings Playoff Scenarios

NFC Scenarios: GREEN BAY PACKERS Green Bay can clinch a playoff berth with: 1) GB win + WAS loss or tie + TB loss + ATL win or tie + GB clinches strength of victory tiebreaker over TB