It’s finally here. All the hype can end on ESPN and within the rest of the media and the game can finally happen.

The game, of course is Green Bay traveling to Minnesota in an always heated NFC North rivalry, but now with former Packer and current Viking Brett Favre dominated the headlines and leading his squad to a perfect 3-0 start it has added a lot of bang to this Monday Nighter.

In what will almost assuredly be the most–watched Monday Night Football game in history, the Vikings are the favorites and the line has moved up about a point over the course of the week to 4.5 in most spots. The over/under is currently set at 45.5.

Favre says this is just another game and Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers is also saying all the right things to the media, but we all know this game carries a lot extra with both feeling they have something to prove. Favre to the Packers and Rodgers to his critics.

While it is impossible to ever predict what will happen for sure in the NFL, Favre has been around the pro game so long that despite the incredible amount of attention this game is receiving shouldn’t have an effect on his nerves. Rodgers has also taken a lot of snaps over the past year-plus and other than maybe during the first series, he will probably play up to his standards.

Rodgers has had troubles at times this year mainly due to the offensive line not giving him very much time to throw, but he has still managed to be efficient with over 700 passing yards along with four touchdown passes and more importantly no interceptions in leading his team to a 2-1 start. Greg Jennings still provides one of the top deep threats in the NFL, while Donald Driver is a productive receiver despite getting up there in years. The main question for Green Bay’s offense, aside from the offensive line, is getting a running game going against a strong Vikings front. Ryan Grant should get his share of carries after rushing 26 times for 99 yards a week ago against St. Louis and he’ll again be counted on to move the chains.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you saw Favre’s last play last week as he beat the 49ers with a laser beam touchdown toss to Greg Lewis with two seconds left. Heroics like that have been common fare in the future Hall of Famer’s career, but plays like that rarely come around so don’t expect a similar ending this time around. But aside from early adrenaline, Favre should again be the steady hand that Minnesota needed all along. With the unreal Adrian Peterson getting his 100 yards almost every time out and the defense keeping the Vikings in every game, there isn’t much more for Favre to do than control the flow of the game and make managable throws. He’s done that so far to the tee and he’ll likely do it again against his former mates.

Green Bay’s defense is much improved from last year and this is probably their greatest test so far. Peterson will get his, but if they allow Favre to also pass on them it could be a long day. But if the Packers play like they have for most of the first three games, it should keep them right in this one.

It seems as though the public is siding with the Vikings and Favre, but don’t discount Green Bay just yet. It is the Packers who have won five of the past six matchups straight up and against the spread against Minnesota, four of those with Favre as their quarterback. The over is 7-1-1 in the last nine meetings between the two.

Prediction: Green Bay 24, Minnesota 21

Sports Betting

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