The Vikings take part in the 113th Border Battle against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in a Christmas Eve matchup.
Green Bay (8-6) has won its past four games and is still in the playoff hunt along with the Vikings (7-7). Minnesota needs to win this week, and Tampa Bay needs to lose this week to keep alive the Vikings postseason hopes.
Let's see who the experts pick to win Week 16's Saturday matchup.
Aaron Rodgers had to throw just to set up his own running game for 14 weeks.
That is no longer the case. Rodgers can split the offensive workload with Ty Montgomery from here on out; the receiver-turned-running back proved he's the answer to Green Bay's ground-game woes. Anticipate lots of Montgomery to start out this game and keep noted Packer-beater Everson Griffen on his heels.
Rodgers won't stuff the stat sheet this week. Minnesota's corners are physical and quick, perfectly suited to stop all the short rockets he releases. I see No. 12 as more of a game manager this time around, and that should be enough against a defense that needs to score itself to win.
Packers 21, Vikings 17— Chris Simms, Bleacher Report
If the Packers win out, they win the NFC North. It starts with the Vikings this week. Minnesota was terrible against the Colts last week, and it continues. Aaron Rodgers will continue his push to be in the MVP talk.
Packers 28, Vikings 17— Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
The Vikings' fall from the last undefeated team has been extraordinary, and the fall will finish when the Packers officially eliminate the Vikings on Saturday at Lambeau Field.
*Packers 23, Vikings 9 *— Michael David Smith, Pro Football Talk
The Packers are surging, the Vikings are stinking. And Green Bay is moving closer to a playoff appearance that a month ago seemed like a long shot at best.
Packers 31, Vikings 13— Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk
Of all the teams that laid eggs last week — Lions, Buccaneers, Redskins and Chiefs to name a few — no loss was worse than Minnesota's disgusting performance at home against the Colts. The offense was invisible, the defense forgot to show up, and any home-field advantage was nullified immediately by an early three-score hole. Could the Vikings bounce back? Perhaps. In Lambeau? With the Packers rolling? I just don't see it.
Packers 24, Vikings 19— Peter Schrager, FOX Sports
These two teams are headed in opposite directions. Minnesota has lost seven of its last nine and looks destined for a losing season. Green Bay is rejuvenated on the back of four straight victories, and can take the NFC North crown by winning out.
The Vikings dominated the first meeting of these two in Week 2, but this game has an entirely different feel to it.
Packers* *— Freddie Boston, FOX Sports
Each Tuesday, WhatIfSports.com's NFL simulation engine generates predictions and box scores for every NFL game for the coming week. The highly sophisticated algorithms simulate every play of every game to produce each team's likelihood to win. Each matchup is simulated 501 times.
Vikings Win Likelihood Percentage: 45.7 percent, Average Score: Packers 21.8, Vikings 20.4— WhatIfSports
FiveThirtyEight's 2016 NFL forecast uses an Elo-based model to calculate each team's chances of advancing to the playoffs and winning Super Bowl LI. Playoff probabilities are based on 20,000 simulations of the season and will update after each game.
Pre-game win probabilities: Vikings 30 percent— FiveThirtyEight.com
0 of 8 experts pick the Vikings,CBS Sports
0 of 5 experts pick the Vikings,USA Today
0 of 8 experts pick the Vikings, SB Nation
0 of 10 experts pick the Vikings, ESPN
0 of 6 experts pick the Vikings, FOX Sports
