Sport consequence: Neither workforce may clinch something this week, however issues are a lot clearer the place each groups stand after the Vikings beat the Packers on Sunday, 27-25. By successful, the Vikings have ensured that their Week 18 recreation in opposition to the Lions shall be for the NFC North title, although the Eagles are nonetheless within the combine for the highest seed with each of them.
In shedding, the Packers damage their possibilities at higher seeding, with all of fifth, sixth, and seventh seeds being an possibility going into Sunday. They’re nonetheless the sixth seed after the loss, however a Commanders win on Sunday night time and a loss in Week 18 places them in seventh, and the fifth seed is not doable after Sunday.
The NFC North is probably the scariest division in soccer, with all the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Inexperienced Bay Packers boasting double-digit wins. Provided that, the division itself remains to be up for grabs, although al three groups have already secured a spot within the postseason. The one query is the place that spot shall be precisely.
The Vikings and Lions are nonetheless vying for the division win, whereas the Packers are attempting to enhance their seeding. Inexperienced Bay can’t take the NFC North crown and thus shall be relegated to a wild card spot, however all three are potential choices for them. On Sunday, they’ll face the Vikings in a particularly essential playoff matchup, one during which the Vikings are slim 1.5-point favorites at residence, per FanDuel Sportsbook.
Right here’s what’s on the road for each groups on Sunday.
Packers playoff image
Inexperienced Bay is 11-4 on the season, however that isn’t sufficient to win the division as they’re a full two video games again of each the Vikings and Lions. At present, they’re slated because the sixth seed within the NFC however may end because the fifth or seventh, as nicely. They’ll’t clinch one of many spots this week, however they’ll line themselves up for the fifth seed by beating the Vikings on Sunday and hoping for a Minnesota loss to Detroit within the finale.
A loss to Minnesota may drop them to the seventh seed if the Commanders beat the Falcons on Sunday as nicely.
Vikings playoff image
The Vikings can’t clinch something this week, however they are often eradicated from NFC North rivalry with a loss coupled with a Lions victory. In the event that they do fall to the Packers, they’ll have to attend for the Lions, who play the 49ers on Monday Night time Soccer earlier than the Week 18 recreation in opposition to the Vikings. Both approach, the Vikings have the highest spot if they’ll win out.
Tiebreaker implications
The foremost tiebreakers listed here are direct and oblique. Inexperienced Bay is probably battling Minnesota for seeding within the wild card, and so they’ve already misplaced one among their head-to-head conferences. And whereas the Commanders path the Packers by one recreation, they’ve a significantly better convention report and would soar forward of them in the event that they win whereas Inexperienced Bay loses.
Minnesota at present holds the sting over Inexperienced Bay in the case of divisional and convention information, however the Packers may pull even with the Vikings in each by successful out whereas Minnesota loses out. A win for the Vikings in Week 17 would set them up for the ever-important matchup with the Lions in Week 18.