Packers vs. Vikings Prediction
NFC North rivals clash in Minnesota on Sunday when the Vikings open their 2020 season against the Packers at 1:00 p.m. ET. With the spread hovering between 2.5 and 3, and the total sitting at 45, what’s the top play for bettors when it comes to this divisional matchup?
Game Snapshot
469 Green Bay Packers (+2.5) at 470 Minnesota Vikings (-2.5); o/u 45
1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, September 12, 2020
NFL Week 1
Green Bay Packers DFS Spin
Packers RB Aaron Jones said the team is working towards a new deal for him. “My agent and them are taking care of that,” Jones said in an interview on the NFL Network. “I’m gonna focus on football.” The Packers haven’t given a second contract to a running back they drafted since finalizing a deal with James Starks, a sixth-round pick in 2010, but Jones appears to be well on his way to stopping that trend. He’s set to make $2.13 million in the final year of his contract this season.
Minnesota Vikings DFS Spin
Vikings signed RB Dalvin Cook to a five-year, $63 million extension. There was talk Cook would hold out this summer but he reported to camp on time. Cook then broke off contract talks with Vikings in August. The sides were able to come together to get something done before Week 1. Cook’s new deal has a $15.5 million signing bonus and his $12.6 million APY makes him the sixth highest paid back ahead of Derrick Henry. He got $2.8 million less annually than Alvin Kamara, who had 25 percent of his contract guaranteed. Cook is now signed through 2025.
Packers vs. Vikings Betting Prediction
If you’re going to back the Vikings, back them when they’re at home and inside. The Vikings are 24-9 and 21-9-3 against the spread at home since they moved into their stadium in 2016 and have been one of the better ATS teams in the league since Mike Zimmer became head coach (outside of when playing outdoors and against a team with a winning record, where they’re 0-15-1 ATS since ’16). Despite advancing to the NFC Championship Game last season, the Packers had a lot break their way. They were 8-1 in one-score games last season, which is a trend that happens to work in a reverse the following season when the ball doesn’t bounce that team’s way as much. In what should be another tight game between these two teams, I’ll take the Vikings at home.
NFL WEEK 1 BETTING PREDICTION: MINNESOTA VIKINGS -2.5