The NFC North division crown will be on the line on Sunday when the Green Bay Packers play host to the Minnesota Vikings as narrow three-point betting favourites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Green Bay missed a chance to lock up their fifth straight division title last weekend, suffering a 38-8 beating in Arizona that leaves them tied with the 10-5 Vikings, who dominated in a 49-17 victory over the New York Giants.
It was the second straight lopsided win for Minnesota, who crushed Chicago 38-17 in Week 15 and are guaranteed a berth in the post-season regardless of the result of Sunday night’s Vikings vs. Packers betting matchup at Lambeau Field.
While the Vikings wrap up their campaign on a high note, Green Bay continues to struggle. Just 3-5 against the spread in their last eight games as favourites, the Packers’ loss to the Cardinals drops them to 4-5 straight up in their past nine games overall.
The Green Bay offense has particularly struggled, generating just 178 total yards against Arizona, while quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was sacked eight times by a ferocious Cardinals defensive line, has thrown for more than 220 yards just once in his past six contests.
However, the Packers have history on their side, going 10-1-1 SU in their last 12 games against Minnesota, including a 5-0-1 SU mark in their last six head-to-head meetings at Lambeau according to the OddsShark NFL Database.
The 13-2 Cardinals have already locked up the NFC West title and a first-round bye, but will be gunning for a shot at home-field advantage throughout the playoffs when they host the Seattle Seahawks as four-point chalk this weekend.
SU winners in each of their last nine games, Arizona has been dominant in their last four outings, holding opponents to just 12 points per game while going 3-1 ATS, but need a win over Seattle combined with a Carolina loss to Tampa Bay to claim top spot in the NFC standings.
The 9-6 Seahawks have clinched a playoff berth but are coming off a 23-17 loss to St. Louis that ended a five-game SU and ATS win streak. Seattle is a solid 4-2 SU in their last six games against the Cardinals including wins in their last two visits to the desert.
In other NFL Week 17 betting action, the Panthers look to bounce back from their first SU loss of the season when they entertain the Buccaneers as 11.5-point chalk, while the Buffalo Bills host the New York Jets as three-point underdogs and the Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Cleveland Browns as 9.5-point favorites in two crucial AFC matchups.
