The Packers-Vikings rivalry has been baked into the NFL calendar for decades, and it lands right where it belongs again in Week 1 of the 2026 season. Green Bay is listed as a slight underdog in the latest betting lines, but the numbers behind this opener lean in the other direction.
The Packers’ Week 1 track record against division opponents since 2000 is hard to ignore. Green Bay is 9-4 in those games, which is the fourth-best mark against a division foe in that span.
Those 13 division matchups in Week 1 are also the second-most of any team. Zoom out a little farther and the case gets even stronger: the Packers are 32-24 in Week 1 games since 1970, the seventh-best record in the league over that stretch.
This is also the fourth time in five years Green Bay has opened against a division rival.
That history matters because the Packers have plenty of ways to attack Minnesota in this one. The offense is expected to center on Jordan Love’s ability to push the ball downfield and work against zone coverage, while still keeping a steady run game in place. Green Bay has already shown it can score on this Vikings defense, putting up 30 or more points in three of the last six meetings.
The defensive side of the matchup could decide everything. If the Packers can keep Justin Jefferson from taking over, they’ll like their chances. They also have to deal with the speed and versatility of new Vikings QB Kyler Murray, whose legs can turn a busted play into a big gain in a hurry.
It’s a familiar rivalry with a lot on the line in the first week of the season, and the recent numbers suggest Green Bay has every reason to feel good about its shot.
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LaFleurs measured response has not sat well with everyone, and the criticism is now landing alongside the teams handling of Jacobs status. For Green Bay, the issue is bigger than a simple roster note because it touches both the organizations public stance and how it wants to be seen while the league reviews the case, leaving the Packers to answer questions without having much room to say more. [Read more 🡒]
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Packers Suddenly Need These 3 Players To Deliver Vs Minnesota
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That puts extra pressure on familiar faces like Keisean Nixon, Jordan Love and Lukas Van Ness to help steady the start of the season. Nixon has to help set the tone on the back end, Love is expected to carry more of the load at quarterback, and Van Ness looks like one of the players the Packers will need to make up for some of the pass-rush production they are missing in Week 1. [Read more 🡒]