Packers and Vikings on Monday night—this is one sportsbook bettors have been counting down since the 2009 NFL schedule was released. Brett Favre has been waiting for a long time to shove the Packers’ decision to let him go back into their face. Now, with the undefeated Vikings, he finally has a chance—not to mention this game will also hugely impact the NFC North race.
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
Monday, Oct. 4 @ 8:30 p.m. ET
NFL Week 4 betting odds: Vikings -3.5
Though Favre’s last-second touchdown pass to win the game for Minnesota last week has been making the highlight reels all week, the veteran quarterback hasn’t actually done much in the Minny offense. Most of the dirty work is taken care of by Adrian Peterson. Peterson, the league’s best running back, has 357 yards and four scores on the ground this week. He’s going to be a real load for the Packers, especially since pride might shift their focus to not letting Favre beat them.
Defensively, the Vikings are a dominant unit—they’re capable of stopping both the run and pass. Favre’s heroics aside, the biggest reason Minny even had a chance to win last week was because of the “D.” Favre wouldn’t have been in position to drive for the winning points were it not for two late stops by the Vikings. This could spell trouble for the Packers; Aaron Rodgers has been pressured a great deal already this season and Minnesota can bring the heat.
Green Bay’s offense isn’t firing on all cylinders yet, mostly because of the aforementioned pressure problems. The offensive line has been a disaster and Rodgers spends half the game running for his life; now, even when he has protection, the youngster feels the urge to move around in the pocket. If the o-line is doing its job, this is one of the best units in the league. Rodgers quietly threw 28 touchdowns and over 4000 yards last season. Oddly, Greg Jennings hasn’t been as involved lately, catching just two passes last week—he’s a game breaker, though, and even handicapping software would tell you he needs to get more action.
The Packers are transitioning to a new 3-4 defense. It drew rave reviews after a masterful Week 1 performance against the Bears but, since then, hasn’t been nearly as effective. The Chicago game appears to be an aberration and this squad indeed needs some time to gel, not to mention some better-suited personnel. That said, the Packers “D” is still capable of making big plays; it leads the NFL in interceptions.
Favre really wants to give a big, metaphorical middle finger to his former team. Luckily, he has Peterson to help him out; the running back rushed for 295 yards and two scores against the Packers last year. He’ll easily cut through a Packers defense that isn’t ready for the big-time yet.
Perhaps the Green Bay offense can play keep-up, but the Metrodome is already famously loud and, given the circumstances, it can be expected to be even louder than usual. That spells trouble for Green Bay’s offensive line, which is already suffering from breakdowns. Poor Rodgers is likely to be on the run again. If you’re going to make an NFL bet this Monday, pick Favre to get his revenge.
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