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NFL Week 16 Picks: Vegas Odds, Over/Under and Predictions Before Thursday Night
- Updated: December 22, 2016
The Green Bay Packers have picked it up when they needed to surge, and the Minnesota Vikings have all but faded out of postseason contention.
Those two teams will meet at Lambeau Field on Saturday afternoon, and all indications are that the Packers are in an excellent position to stretch their winning streak to five games. If they can beat the Vikings, they will be in a position to play for the NFC North title in Week 17, when they go on the road to play the division-leading Detroit Lions.
Green Bay has found its offensive comfort zone, having scored 38 and 30 points respectively in each of its last two games. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers continues to show he can make plays when the game is on the line for a team that regularly plays its best football when it matters most.
Rodgers threw a 60-yard completion to star wideout Jordy Nelson in the final minute of the Packers’ Week 15 victory over the Chicago Bears, which set up Mason Crosby’s game-winning field goal.
The Green Bay signal-caller has completed 64.9 percent of his passes this season and has a 32-7 TD-interception ratio.
While the Packers are hitting their offensive stride, the Vikings have stumbled badly and rank 31st on offense with the worst rushing attack in the league. They are averaging under 15 points per game over the last four games. Additionally, Minnesota has dropped seven of its last nine games since starting the season with five straight wins.
The Packers are 6.5-point favorites, according to OddsShark. Green Bay has covered the spread in five of its last seven home games with the Vikings.
That trend is a positive one for the Packers, and the way the two teams are playing is an even more of a decisive factor in recommending Green Bay. The Packers were going nowhere through Week 11, but they have turned their season around with a consistent passing game and improvement on defense.
The Vikings have had a tough time scoring and moving the ball since early in the season, and their defense appears to be wearing out after giving up 34 points to the Indianapolis …
