Entering Week 7 of the 2023 NFL season, many wondered whether the Minnesota Vikings were on the verge of a fire sale that might include trading quarterback Kirk Cousins. However, entering their Week 8 matchup with the Green Bay Packers, on Sunday, October 29, at 1 p.m. eastern standard time, in the cold weather waiting at Lambeau Field in Green Bay Wisconsin, the narrative has almost completely shifted.
The question now: Do the Vikings deserve sleeper odds to make the 2023 NFL playoffs?
This question likely jumps a few developments. But it’s also salient with the Vikings winning three of their past four games. And if the latest NFL online betting odds have it right, Minnesota will pick up its fourth win in five tries:
Remember to double-check these online NFL betting odds right up until you submit your wager. Our Vikings vs. Packers Week 8 betting odds are accurate entering Wednesday, October 25. That gives the best NFL online betting sites more than enough time to make adjustments based on how the wagering market pans in advance of opening kick-off.
This will mark the first meeting between division rivals Green Bay and Minnesota of the season. And they won’t square off again until the very end of December.
At the moment, though, the Packers appear headed in one direction: towards prioritizing their NFL draft positioning. The Vikings, on the other hand, are inching closer to the NFC North division-leading Detroit Lions after their gutsy and rollicking win over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.
Even so, the Packers vs. Vikings betting lines suggest we should proceed with caution. Minnesota has been inconsistent at best, and tough battles tend to ensue whenever they meet Green Bay. Which team represents the best Week 8 NFL bet? Let’s get to our Packers vs. Vikings predictions.
The Minnesota Vikings Cannot Afford to Underestimate the Green Bay Packers
This is pretty self-explanatory. The Vikings still trail the Lions by two games in the loss column in the NFC North entering Week 8. Their most efficient path to the playoffs remains through winning said division rather than banking on a Wild Card berth.
More than that, though, the Vikings still have so many questions. Beating the Niners last week is a caps-lock ACCOMPLISHMENT. And the defense has allowed just 17.5 points per game over the last four weeks, all while displaying the ability to force and capitalize on turnovers in droves.
The offense, however, has been more inconsistent. Minnesota has eclipsed the 24-point threshold only once, despite ranking in the top three of net yards per passing attempt. The complete absence of a run game has hurt them, and their struggles on third down (20th) and in the red zone (24th) don’t bode particularly well against a Packers defense that rates in the top 10ish of both categories.
And yet, questions about Green Bay’s own offense far exceed those we have for Minnesota. After a relatively strong start, quarterback Jordan Love looks lost. No signal-caller has thrown more interceptions since Week 3. This has, incidentally, coincided with the Packers averaging just 17 points per game during this span. Green Bay has shown it can get stops and control the pace of play on defense. But the offense is just too much of a work in progress for us to count on home-field advantage being this big of a difference.
OSB Prediction: Minnesota Vikings (-110)
Linemakers are Expecting Green Bay vs. Minnesota to be REALLY Close
The point spread betting odds for Vikings vs. Packers have already moved since the opening. Here’s the latest lines:
- Minnesota Vikings, -1.5 (-102)
- Green Bay Packers, +1.5 (-120)
So, the public is really loving the Packers at +1.5, huh? That puzzles us. This might be skewed by an influx of parlays on both the moneyline and spread. Even by those standards, we remain flummoxed.
Both the Week 8 NFL betting lines and the public actions seem to be accounting for the continued absence of star wide receiver Justin Jefferson for the Vikings. That’s an overcorrection. Minnesota is no stranger to running the offense without Jefferson at this stage.
Perhaps this is more about an overarching distrust in the Vikings’ passing game. That’s more understandable, given how many turnovers they’ve committed on the year. But that’s also an outdated concern. Minnesota has combined for just three turnovers over the past three weeks. We’re taking their moneyline, with surprisingly little hesitation.
OSB Prediction: Minnesota Vikings, -1.5 (-102)
Will Either of the Vikings’ or Packers’ Offenses Go Off?
The answer to this question judging from the latest NFL over/under betting lines is “no:”
- Over 42.5 (-110)
- Under 42.5 (-110)
This is probably the right line to set. The Vikings and Packers have only topped 25 points once apiece, so it would be a true shocker if this final score crawls closer to 50.
And make no mistake, in today’s NFL, a line of 42.5 is conservative. We’re just not sure it’s conservative enough.
Between Jordan Love’s collapse the past few weeks, the Packers’ staunch pass defense and Minnesota’s deficient rushing game at the moment, we’re inclined to believe one of these teams will belch out an offensive stinker. That’s reason enough for us to invest in the under.
OSB Prediction: Over 42.5 (-110)
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