APC Week 1 Sunday NFL Picks: Yes, we’re picking the Packers over the Vikings

Friday of Week 1 means NFL picks are here. There will be 14 games taking place across the league on Sunday (now that the NFL has done away with the week one Monday night doubleheader) and one of those is the Green Bay Packers’ opening game.

The Packers of course open up on the road against the Minnesota Vikings, who are expected to be Green Bay’s stiffest competition in the NFC North this season. The Packers are favored in the opener per our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook, however, with the point spread being a close 1.5 points towards the green and gold.

Perhaps buoyed by the expected returns of offensive tackles David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins, APC is feeling bullish on the Packers’ chances of starting out 1-0. The two tackles were both listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report, but signs are positive that both could play, even though Bakhtiari did not practice on Friday.

Will that be enough to slow down the Vikings’ pass rushing duo of Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith? We’ll find out if those two will play 90 minutes before kickoff, which will come at 3:25 PM Central on Sunday, but the pair’s return would be a massive boost to the Packers from an emotional perspective. Wide receiver Allen Lazard looks likely to miss the game, unfortunately, as he was listed as doubtful on Friday following an ankle injury he suffered in practice last week.

Check out our picks for Packers-Vikings below along with our predictions for the rest of Sunday’s games as they sit on Friday afternoon (and updating live if any changes come in before kickoff).