The line says there’s little separating Green Bay and Minnesota, but the teams don’t enter this Week 1 opener with identical profiles. Our grades favor the Packers’ offense and the Vikings’ balance, setting up the central question for Sunday: Can Green Bay’s higher-rated attack overcome Minnesota’s more complete team shape?
Packers vs. Vikings game details and odds
The Packers visit the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, Sept. 13. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. EDT, and both teams enter the 2026 season opener at 0-0.
The DraftKings spread and total listed Minnesota as a 1.5-point favorite at -112, with Green Bay +1.5 at -108, as of 2:00 a.m. EDT Saturday. The total was 46.5, priced at -108 on the over and -112 on the under. It’s a narrow spread, and our two-star side and total ratings reflect a matchup with competing signals rather than one overwhelming angle.
Green Bay’s offense meets Minnesota’s balance
Green Bay carries an A offensive grade, compared with a C+ on defense. Minnesota is more even, with B+ grades on offense, defense and overall. Green Bay also owns a B+ overall grade, so the distinction is less about one team being clearly stronger and more about how that strength is distributed.
Our team projections add to that contrast. Green Bay is projected for about 339 total yards, including roughly 218 through the air and 121 on the ground. Minnesota’s corresponding figures are approximately 287 total yards, 175 passing and 113 rushing. That points to more expected yardage from the Packers, while the Vikings’ stronger defensive grade gives the home side a meaningful counterweight.
The quarterback matchup features Jordan Love for Green Bay and Kyler Murray for Minnesota. Murray’s connection with Justin Jefferson is an immediate storyline, and NFL.com noted that this will be Jefferson’s first Vikings game with Murray at quarterback. Minnesota’s listed skill group also includes Aaron Jones Sr., T.J. Hockenson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings. Love’s options include Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden and Tucker Kraft.
Recent results point in different directions
Each team’s last 10 games from the 2025 season offers a different starting point. Minnesota went 6-4 outright and 5-5 against the spread, while Green Bay went 4-6 outright and 3-6 against the spread across the nine games with a stored spread. That history supports Minnesota’s status as a slight favorite, though a new season and changed personnel limit how much weight it should carry.
The total is less tidy. Eight of Minnesota’s last 10 stayed under, but six of Green Bay’s last 10 went over. That conflict makes the 46.5 total more of a matchup question than a simple continuation of either team’s previous pattern.
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Packers injuries to monitor
In the Packers injury report for the matchup, Green Bay ruled defensive tackle Warren Brinson out with a calf injury. Guard Aaron Banks and offensive tackle Zach Bako-Bewele were listed as questionable with knee injuries. Those designations were reported Friday night and are worth checking again closer to kickoff.
What shapes this opener
Minnesota’s home-field setting and balanced grades help explain why the Vikings are favored, but the small number reflects the strength Green Bay brings on offense. The Packers carry the higher yardage projections, while Minnesota owns the better defensive grade and played the stronger football across its final 10 games of last season.
That leaves a competitive opener in which the spread looks more defensible than emphatic. The total has its own tension because the teams’ late-season over/under patterns pull in opposite directions.
Explore the latest lines, player information and complete game view on the Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings matchup.
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