The Minnesota Vikings have had a roller-coaster of a season. They lost four of their first five games, then won five straight, and have since lost four of five games. They are now 7-8 and sitting in eighth place in the NFC playoff standings.
The Vikings host the Packers in Week 17 on Sunday Night Football and cannot afford a loss. They could remain alive even with a loss, but given the help they already need to secure a wild card berth, they’ll need to take care of business as a 1.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook.
There are several games on the Week 17 slate that can help the Vikings boost their playoff chances. Minnesota fans will want to pay attention to the following matchups on Sunday.
Rams vs. Giants
Steelers vs. Seahawks
Rams result: LA won a tight one as New York missed a long field goal as time expired. The Seahawks lost to the Steelers, which allowed the Rams to clinch one of the two remaining wild card berths.
LA and Seattle are both 8-7 and sitting a game up on Minnesota. They have not played each other, which means the conference record tiebreaker or beyond will dictate the difference in the event of a tie. If the Vikings win and the Rams and/or Seahawks lose this weekend, Minnesota would move ahead of the losing teams thanks to a better conference record.
The Rams are a five-point favorite and the Seahawks are a 3.5-point favorite.
Falcons vs. Bears
Saints vs. Buccaneers
Results: The Falcons lost to the Bears 37-17 while the Saints beat the Bucs 23-13.
Minnesota is tied with Atlanta and New Orleans and holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over both of them. A loss by either team removes some pressure heading into Week 18.
The Falcons and Saints are both three-point underdogs in Week 17.