Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers NFL Picks & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd on October 28, 2009

vikes pack 102809 Brett Favre and the 6-1 Minnesota Vikings take on Aaron Rodgers and the 4-2 Green Bay Packers in round two of Favre versus his former team at Lambeau Field. The first one was sweet for Favre as he passed for 271 yards and three touchdowns to defeat his former team 30-23 on Monday Night Football, but this one would be even sweeter if he could get the job done in front of Packer nation at legendary Lambeau. It figures to be no easy task as Green Bay has won six of the last seven meetings in the matchup and NFL odds makers have listed the Packers as 3-point favorites with the total set at 47.5.

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Brett Favre has been Mr. November, winning eight of his last 10 November starts, but in order to improve on those numbers, he’s going to have to keep his emotions in check, just as he did the first time he met his former team. It doesn’t figure to be as easy this time around as Favre steps on the field where he played nearly every snap for 16 seasons. Favre will hear both cheers and jeers, but if he can keep his emotions under control the Vikings will stand a good chance of winning again.

An even bigger key than Favre this week is Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen, who was a nightmare for Aaron Rodgers and company in the season’s first meeting. Allen had 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a safety in that game. Aaron Rodgers has shown that he can pick teams apart if they don’t consistently bring the heat. If Allen can get to Rodgers religiously Sunday, Favre could have double revenge. It is worth noting that the underdog is 16-5 against the spread in the last 21 meetings in this rivalry. If you like Favre and company to pull off the season sweep, bet the Vikings at +3 at Sportsbook.com.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has been dialed in with a passer rating of 100 or higher in five straight games, but three of those games have been against St. Louis, Detroit, and Cleveland. We will find out just how much the Packers have improved since the first time they played Minnesota Sunday. It will be just as important for Rodgers to keep his composure. After losing the first head-to-head, Rodgers would like nothing more than to defeat his former teammate on legendary Lambeau Field to show everyone that the Packers organization made the right decision without a doubt. For what it’s worth, I think they did no matter what happens.

Green Bay’s defense has been dominant each of the last two weeks, holding Detroit and Cleveland to under 150 yards of offense. The Packers seem to be getting more comfortable with their new defensive scheme but it does not hurt to play two of the worst teams in football either. The Packers did exactly what they wanted to do the first time they played the Vikings. They shut down Adrian Peterson and the running attack and forced Favre to win it through the air. I think they need to stick to the same game plan here and hope that Favre isn’t as good this time around. It is worth noting that the Vikings are 3-12-2 against the spread in their last 17 games as an underdog of 3.0 points or less. If you think Green Bay will have its revenge, bet the Packers at -3 at Sportsbook.com.

In Week 6, Jimmy crushed the books with his 5* NFL Underdog Shocker of the Year, a double digit outright winner on the Texans over the Bengals. Last week, Jimmy came up big again with his 5* NFL Favorite of the Year, a blowout winner on the Cowboys over the Falcons. Make sure you sign up for Jimmy’s NFL expert picks package again in Week 8 for another big day in the black!

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