Packers vs. Vikings | NFL Week 18 Breakdown & Best Bets: Nine’s Back
Written by: Varun Sharma
Published: Sat Jan 03, 2026, 1:59 pm ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
nfl
We've got another divisional game in the NFC North, this time it's the Packers traveling to Minnesota to take on 'Nine' and the Vikings. The Packers will be resting a bunch of starters this week with the 7th seed all locked up, but this being a divisional game I'm sure both teams will be plenty motivated.
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Game Information
Matchup Information
- Location: U.S. Bank Stadium; Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Date: Sunday, January 4th, 2026
- Kickoff: 1:00 PM EST
Quarterback Matchup
- Green Bay Packers: Clayton Tune (2024 – N/A)
- Minnesota Vikings: J.J. McCarthy (2024 – N/A)
Betting Odds
Odds via Lucky Rebel, an industry leader in the sports betting world.
Analysis & Breakdown
Nine
'Nine' will forever be the most iconic number of the 2025/2026 NFL Season and it's 100% for the wrong reasons. McCarthy's had a tough go of it this year, averaging just 161.1 pass yards per game in his first year as a starter; throwing 11 touchdowns but 12 interceptions. He's completed just 57.3% of his pass attempts this year and he's played in just nine of the team's 16 games so far.
The offense has looked bad, the Vikings have no aerial attack and now reports are coming out that the team could be in the market for a more 'established' QB to enter the conversation. It's hard to give up on someone so early but McCarthy just hasn't looked good and this is with elite offensive weapons surrounding him.
Justin Jefferson's played in all 16 of their games this year, leads the team in targets, receptions and he's still at risk of having his first season with less than 1,000 yards receiving. Jefferson's on track for career lows across the board and it's because of QB play. Even when Jefferson missed seven games in 2023, he finished the year with 1,074 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He's currently sitting at 947 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns and he hasn't missed a single game.
When you have talent like Jettas to throw to, there's really no excuses. If McCarthy wants to be the guy here in Minnesota he's going to need to figure it out and figure it out quick.
Melted Cheese
The Packers are a singular onside kick from the top spot in the NFC North. Two weeks ago, in Chicago, we saw Green Bay go into the 4th quarter with a 10-point lead and they did it without Jordan Love. It took a historic collapse, a muffed onside kick and overtime for the Packers to lose that game and ever since it's been bad news bears.
Jordan Love would miss the next game against Baltimore due to concussion and the Packers proceeded to get run over by the Ravens. The Ravens kept their season alive while simultaneously ending the Packers hopes at a NFC North Title. Now the Pack are locked into the 7th seed and looking to rest starters with no more seeding implications on the line.
If the Bears win this week in Detroit, the Packers/Bears will meet for the third time this year; this time in the Wild Card Round at Soldier Field. If the Bears fail to do their job, the Packers will head to Philly to take on the reigning Super Bowl Champs. Either way, the Packers will be on the road for the Wild Card in for an uphill battle as the postseason kicks off.
This week the Packers will send out Clayton Tune against this blitz heavy defense and if last week was any indication; Brian Flores' foot is still firmly on the gas.
Sunday's Best Bets
Justin Jefferson o66.5 Receiving Yards (-111) | Lucky Rebel
I hate that I'm doing this, but I'm trusting 'Nine' to get the ball to our boy Jettas. If J.J. McCarthy is truly going to be this team's future QB, he's got to get his WR1 to 1,000 yards receiving on the year. Jefferson's been in the league for six years now. He's recorded 1,000 yards every single year and this can't be the first year he fails to reach the milestone.
The team's offense has been bad, ranking 26th in points, 31st in pass yards, 31st in third down conversion rate, 28th in first downs and 28th in yards per play. It's just been ugly, all around. Jettas saw 8+ targets in both of McCarthy's last two starts and this week they get the benefit of playing at home, in a dome.
In a week where both teams might be lacking motivation, I'm turning to Jettas to get us another 1,000 yard season and continue his streak for at least one more year.
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