Green Bay Packers named slight favorites versus Minnesota Vikings in Week 1

The Green Bay Packers open up the season as 1.5-point favorites on the road against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1, per DraftKings. The sportsbook also named the Packers a -120 money line favorite, carrying an implied probably that Green Bay wins the game 55 percent of the time.

Since Kirk Cousins has taken over as the Vikings’ quarterback, the Packers have a record of 4-3-1 against Minnesota. The total of the game is listed at 48 points, a mark that has been hit in half of the Aaron Rodgers-Cousins matchups. The average total points in those games have been 51, while the average score has been 28-23 and a Green Bay victory.

DraftKings has also released a limited amount of player props for the game, too. Rodgers has a passing yards line of 255.5 for the game. In the last two seasons, when Rodgers has claimed that he has gelled with Matt LaFleur’s offense, he has cracked 256 or more yards in 19 of 31 games — excluding Week 18 against Detroit last season when he was pulled at the half in a meaningless game for the Packers. Against the Vikings over that span, Rodgers has put up passing totals of 285, 364, 291 and 288 yards, good for an average of 332.

Running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon have rushing totals of 49.5 and 46.5 yards, respectively, going into the game. Each back hit those numbers nine times a piece last season, their first year of splitting the workload in Green Bay’s backfield.

There are no receiving props listed. Despite that, all eyes will be on the Packers’ pass-catchers in Week 1. Yesterday, receiver Allen Lazard missed practice with an undisclosed injury. Should he miss the season opener, Green Bay’s top three receivers on Sunday could be new additions: free agent signing Sammy Watkins, rookie second-round pick Christian Watson and rookie fourth-round pick Romeo Doubs. Randall Cobb and Amari Rodgers are the only non-Lazard receivers to return from the 2021 team, and they were both acquired by the team that season.

According to VSiN, 61 percent of the money is on the Packers covering while the money line handle is split and 65 percent is on the under. In terms of the volume of bets, 68 are picking Green Bay to cover, 63 percent are taking the over and 59 percent are taking the Packers money line.