Another chapter in the storied Border Battle rivalry – the 129th to be exact – will be penned this weekend when Minnesota hosts Green Bay on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Not many of those chapters, however, have had stakes like this.
While the Vikings (13-2) and Packers (11-4) have already clinched their spots in the upcoming postseason, there's plenty to play for besides bragging rights between the two fanbases and states.
If Minnesota wins this week against Green Bay and in Week 18 at Detroit, the Vikings will not only claim the division crown for the second time in three seasons, but also – and more importantly – earn the coveted No. 1 seed in the NFC, a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Even though the best Green Bay can receive is the No. 5 seed if the Packers win out and the Vikings lose out, it can still play spoiler; a Minnesota loss to Green Bay + a Detroit (13-2) win at San Francisco (6-9) on Monday Night Football allows the Lions to win consecutive division titles for the first time in team history and lock up the No. 1 seed.
A less important, but still significant detail: a Vikings win on Sunday would also give them a season sweep against Green Bay for the first time since 2017. Minnesota has swept the Packers in a season 14 times, but only three times since 2005 (1968-69, 1971, 1973, 1975-77, 1986, 1992-93, 1998, 2005, 2009 and 2017).
The Vikings enter the matchup as the hottest team in the NFL, as Minnesota has won eight consecutive games for the first time since 2017 as well. It is now the longest active streak in the league and is tied for the fourth-biggest streak in team history within a single regular season, trailing only the 1973 (nine games), 1975 (10 games) and 1969 (12 games) squads.
Meanwhile, December has been Green Bay's month, as the Packers have the most wins (169) in the month all-time, 10 more than the next team (San Francisco). The Packers also have a record of 20-3 in December all-time under Head Coach Matt LaFleur, with LaFleur winning his first 16 games in the month between 2019 and 2023. The 16-game streak was the second-longest in December in NFL history, trailing only the run of 18 in a row from 2006-09 by the San Diego Chargers.
Of the 128 previous meetings between the Vikings and Packers, only 28 have come in the month of December, with Green Bay holding a record of 18-10 all-time, including winning the past two December matchups (23-10 in 2019 and 33-10 in 2023, both in Minnesota). Of Minnesota's 10 victories against the Packers in December in franchise history, six have been in Minnesota, with the last one being a 37-34 final in the 2012 regular-season finale.
In that game, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson racked up 199 rushing yards on 34 carries and scored two touchdowns (one receiving), finishing just 9 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record (2,105 yards). Peterson – who rushed for 2,097 yards in 2012 – was later named NFL MVP by The Associated Press for that season, becoming the league's only non-QB MVP in the past 17 seasons.
Let's see who the experts are picking to win the game:
Vikings 30, Packers 27 – John Breech, CBS Sports
We are 17 weeks into the NFL season, and I still have no idea how good the Packers are, which seems like a crazy thing to say about an 11-4 team. Now, before you start sending me hate mail, Packers fans, let me finish my point. I know the Packers are good, and I think they might even win a playoff game, but I'm not sure if they're good enough to beat the best teams in the NFC, and that's mostly because they haven't done it yet.
Every time the Packers face one of the top teams in the NFC, they completely melt down and find a way to lose the game. I'll give them a pass for their Week 1 loss to the Eagles, because that game was in Brazil and as everyone knows, you can't be blamed for anything you do wrong in Brazil.
They lost to the Vikings in Week 4 in a game where they were down 28-0 before halftime. In Week 9, they lost to the Lions in a game where they were trailing 24-6 before the third quarter was even over. In Week 14, they lost to the Lions again in a game where they fell behind 10-0 in the first half. I'm starting to notice a pattern here and that pattern is that they always seem to trip over their own feet to the start the game when they're playing a good team.
If the Packers can avoid a slow start, then they can absolutely win this game, especially because Jordan Love will be going up against a Vikings defense that's surrendering 248.7 yards per game through the air, which is the fourth-most in the NFL. I feel like these two teams are pretty even, but with the Packers coming off a short week after playing on Monday in Week 16 and being forced to the road for this game, I think I have to roll with Minnesota.
Packers 28, Vikings 26 – Staff, Bleacher Report
A couple of days ago, the Green Bay Packers shut out the New Orleans Saints 34-0. Now, they'll focus on a critical road matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.
In the first meeting between these teams, Green Bay fell behind 28-0 by the second quarter. The Packers made a run to close the deficit, but they lost 31-29 at home.
The Packers are a different team now, though.
After throwing an interception in his first eight games of the season, Love hasn't turned the ball over since Week 11. Green Bay is also leaning on running back Josh Jacobs who's scored 10 touchdowns over the past six weeks.
The Minnesota Vikings second-ranked run defense will challenge the Packers surging ground game. The Vikings have also won eight in a row.
[Bleacher Report Betting Strategies' Vince] Michelino focused on Green Bay's passing game. He thinks Love will have a much better performance than his first one against the Vikings and lead his team to victory.
"It was all fireworks the last time these two met when Minnesota won at Lambeau Field after nearly blowing a 28-0 lead," Michelino recalled. "The Vikings held on to win 31-29 in a shootout, but Jordan Love made things very interesting in the second half after shaking off the rust in his return.
"It turned out to be a sign of things to come as both teams are now destined for the playoffs. It's easy to fall in love with the Vikings when Darnold is playing like a bona fide MVP candidate, and Justin Jefferson continues to showcase why he's the best receiver in the league," Michelino added. "But when the calendar flips to December, Jordan Love elevates his game like no other. The Vikings deserve to be favored at home as the better all-around team, but the Packers are rolling, and they've played great on the road this year. I love getting the points here, I'll take them and run."
Vikings 26, Packers 23 – Bill Bender, Sporting News
The Vikings were up 28-0 on the Packers in the first meeting before a furious second-half rally by Green Bay made it a 31-29 thriller. That was Jordan Love's first game back from a knee injury. The Packers managed just 86 rushing yards in that loss, and the Vikings rank second in the league against the run (87.1 ypg.). Minnesota gets its first sweep of Green Bay since 2017.
Packers 27, Vikings 24 – Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News
The Vikings have won eight consecutive games, but they have had some close calls, including Week 16 in Seattle. Back at home, they face a Green Bay defense that can contain their passing game a bit, and the offense will warm up Jordan Love on the road with no elements.
5 of 6 experts pick the Vikings, The MMQB
6 of 11 experts pick the Vikings, ESPN
3 of 8 experts pick the Vikings, Bleacher Report
