The Green Bay Packers open the 2026 NFL season with a key NFC North divisional clash against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Packers will be playing without running back Josh Jacobs, who is on the commissioner’s exempt list as he awaits suspension and deals with domestic violence charges. They’re also without edge rusher Micah Parsons, who is recovering from a torn ACL.
It’s a new-look Vikings team with Kyler Murray under center, looking to bounce back after a disastrous 2025 campaign. It’s going to be interesting to see how Murray looks in his first game in Kevin O’Connell’s offense, so let’s explore NFL prediction markets to see where we can find value.
The Vikings are priced at 53 cents to win this game. This is a cheap price on a home team, which reflects market sentiment that the Packers are the better team. In other words, the only reason why the Vikings are favored in this game is because they’re at home. If it were in Green Bay, the Packers would likely be around 58 cent favorites.
While the Vikings still have an intriguing defense with stud defensive coordinator Brian Flores running the unit, the offense is a complete question mark. Kyler Murray struggled for the Cardinals last year, so we still have to see how he adjusts to a new offense. Even though he’ll likely eventually be effective, we still need to see on-field results.
To that end, there’s some value on giving the Packers a look to win this one outright. They have the edge under center with Jordan Love, who could really spread his wings this year. With Josh Jacobs out, expect the Packers to lean on Love more, allowing him to flourish like we know he can. He’s got the tools and athleticism to be an elite QB in this league.
I’m going with the Packers at 47 cents to win this game because I view them as the better team here. There’s a lot of uncertainty with the Vikings right now, especially coming off such an abysmal year.
Even without Josh Jacobs and Micah Parsons, the Packers have the edge with Jordan Love under center. Stud tight end Tucker Kraft is back from a torn ACL, while the team should pass more with Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Matthew Golden.
With Jacobs, the Packers were a bit conservative and run-heavy. Without him, they’ll likely play more aggressively. To that end, this could actually be a blessing in disguise, where the offense evolves to a more modern look with more passing volume. I’m riding with the Packers to win here.
The Packers were originally around 50 cents to win this game, but the market has moved in favor of the Vikings. This is likely due to the absence of Josh Jacobs and Micah Parsons. The market movement has given us better value on the Packers here.
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