Packers Wire staff predictions: Week 16 at Vikings

The staff at Packers Wire predicts the winner of the Packers’ Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Green Bay Packers can exorcise a demon and check off another goal by beating the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium for the first time and officially clinching the NFC North title on Monday night.

Here’s how the staff at Packers Wire believes the Week 16 matchup will go down:

Zach Kruse (11-3): Vikings 28, Packers 20

The Vikings aren’t going to have Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook, creating a real possibility for the Packers to win their first game at U.S. Bank Stadium. The worry here is that the Packers offense will struggle to move the football in a tough environment and the Packers defense will allow too many explosive plays to beat a talented team on the road.

Jack Wepfer (10-4): Vikings 27, Packers 20

The Vikings are without Dalvin Cook and their second string running back, Alexander Mattison, is questionable. But even if Mattison doesn’t play, their third-string back, Mike Boone, looks like a solid player. The biggest thing is that, despite having a worse received than the Packers, the Vikings have been playing better football and look capable of playing at an overall higher level. At home, with the division on the line, the Packers simply don’t have enough offense to keep pace. The turf may help the Packers in the sense that Aaron Jones is deadly with a steady surface. It’ll be a competitive game, but Packers can’t get the W this time around.

Marty Kauffman (9-5): Packers 23, Vikings 20

The Packers will be considered underdogs going in and rightfully so. They are 0-3 at US Bank Stadium and the Vikings are a much better team at home than on the road. Green Bay has also not blown out weaker competition the last few weeks when expected but they still got the wins. However, Minnesota has yet to beat a team with a winning record this season and will be without Dalvin Cook on Monday. Green Bay will need to withstand the early surge from the Vikings. The offense needs to get another early flow and maintain it and keep Aaron Rodgers up right. Defensively they need to get pressure again on Kirk Cousins and force him into mistakes he is known for and keep him from throwing the deep ball that has worked In Minnesota’s favor. Green Bay sneaks out with a win and NFC North crown.

Anthony Nash (10-4): Packers 28, Vikings 20

The Packers seem to be catching the Vikings in the right space for this game. Not only is Dalvin Cook out, but the Vikings will likely also be without their second-string running back, Alexander Mattison. The Packers have had trouble winning in U.S. Bank Stadium but will be bringing in one of the best teams they’ve had into Minnesota. On the other hand, the Packers offense is struggling to get anything going, and the defense will have a tough time guarding the Vikings’ talented receiving corps. With that being said, the Packers’ identity seems to be winning ugly, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see them find a way to pull out a win and capture another NFC North title.

Nolan Stracke (9-5): Vikings 27, Packers 23

The Packers have played well enough against some sub-par teams lately. Watching them the past couple weeks has given me pause picturing how they could win this week. They definitely could win, but will they? The offense has clunked along lately and the defense will be facing its biggest test since San Francisco hung 38 points on them. The Vikings offense has scored at least 27 points in eight games this season and the options they have on, even without Dalvin Cook, gives them the edge over the Packers. Green Bay is 0-3 at Bank of America Stadium and I have trouble seeing them break that streak this year.

Joe Kipp (10-4): Vikings 24, Packers 20

The Vikings are the better team in several metrics, and with a home advantage it seems highly unlikely the Packers can pull off the upset. This might be a different story if the game were at Lambeau Field in sub-20 degree weather, but in the climate-controlled structure that is U.S. Bank Stadium, Minnesota is 24-7 all-time. Add in the fact that the Packers have yet to win at U.S. Bank Stadium (0-3 all-time), it doesn’t bode well for the visiting team. Unfortunately, I foresee that streak continuing Monday night. Green Bay covers the spread (-5.5) but falls short in the win column.

Writer Prediction Score Record
Zach Kruse Loss 28-20 11-3
Jack Wepfer Loss 27-20 10-4
Marty Kauffman Win 23-20 9-5
Anthony Nash Win 28-20 10-4
Nolan Stracke Loss 27-23 9-5
Joe Kipp Loss 24-20 10-4

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