Green Bay Packers vs Minnesota Vikings Predictiton & ATS Picks - 1/4/2026
Updated July 9, 2026
On Sunday, the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings will face off in Week 18 of the NFL season. The Packers have locked themselves into the seventh spot in the NFC going into the playoffs. But they will try to establish some momentum going into the postseason with a win over their division rivals. Before Week 18 kicks off, I break down this NFC North matchup and bring you my Packers vs Vikings prediction from US Bank Stadium.
Pick: | Vikings -6.5 |
Confidence: | 1/5 |
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The Packers are heading to the playoffs, while the Vikings are not. But you wouldn't know it by looking at the way these two teams have played leading up to this Week 18 matchup. The Packers have lost three games in a row and starting quarterback Jordan Love is in concussion protocol. They will face the second seed in the NFC in the first round of the playoffs, which will be either the Bears or Eagles based on the outcome of their Week 18 games. But no matter who the Packers play this week, they are struggling going toward the postseason.
As for the Vikings, they have shown a ton of pride late in the regular season despite being eliminated from playoff contention. The Vikings have won four straight games, including an upset win over the Detroit Lions that knocked Detroit out of the postseason. Minnesota is 8-8 going into this contest and could finish the season above the .500 mark with a win.
Jordan Love is the starting quarterback for the Packers under normal circumstances, but he is in concussion protocol. Malik Willis got the start in Green Bay's Week 17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens and he was ineffective for the most part, though he did make some plays with his legs. It might be smart for the Packers to rest Love this week, even if he clears concussion protocol, to have him ready for the playoffs.
Max Brosmer was the quarterback for the Vikings last week and Minnesota won despite him throwing for just 51 yards. There is a chance that JJ McCarthy returns to action for the Vikings this week. But without a playoff spot to play for, it might also be smart for the Vikings to rest their starting quarterback to avoid risking an injury in a meaningless game.
Score Projection: Vikings 21, Packers 14
Win Probability: Vikings 55%, Packers 45%
This game will come down to which quarterbacks are on the field for the game. Bettors may want to wait to find out whether it will be Willis or Love under center for Green Bay and Brosmer or McCarthy for the Vikings. As things stand now, I'll take the Vikings in this contest, as the Packers will likely pack things in with their sights set on the playoffs.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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