Vikings Save Super Bowl 53 Hopes, Sink Packers, with Week 12 SNF Win

• Vikings move atop NFC wild card race with Week 12 win over Green Bay
• At 4-6-1, Packers dim playoff hopes reflected in plummeting Super Bowl odds
• December dates with Steelers, Seahawks, Bears threaten Minnesota’s playoff chances

The Minnesota Vikings saw their playoff hopes get a big boost with a 24-17 win over the Green Bay Packers as 3.5-point home chalk on Sunday Night Football.

With the victory, the Vikings put the brakes on a worrisome 1-2 SU slide and laid claim to the top wild card spot in the NFC.

The squad also kept pace with the red-hot Chicago Bears in the race for first place in the NFC North, and breathed life back into their fading Super Bowl odds, which sit at a slightly improved +2000.

Odds to Win Super Bowl 53

Packers Tumble Out of Contention with Week 12 Loss in Minnesota

Conversely, Green Bay has seen their NFL futures odds tumble following their sixth SU road loss of the season.

Perched just shy of the favorites, as an attractive +1400 bet, prior to the start of the 2018 campaign, the 4-6-1 Packers’ rapidly declining playoff chances are reflected in the current Super Bowl 53 odds, where they now trail at a distant +10000.

Vikings Far from Assured of a Playoff Berth

But while Minnesota football fans can briefly take pleasure in the misfortune of their divisional arch-rivals, the Vikings still have considerable work to do to prove themselves as a playoff team, let alone a Super Bowl contending squad.

NFL playoff picture: The NFC Wild Card race remains muddled mess.

Here’s a look at the standings: https://t.co/LOdNWUTMU1

— Pride of Detroit (@PrideOfDetroit) November 26, 2018

At 6-4-1, the Vikings lead NFC wild card race by the narrowest of margins, with the Washington Redskins, Carolina Panthers, and Seattle Seahawks all closely trailing at 6-5.

Minnesota has also done little to demonstrate they can compete with this season’s top teams.

While the Vikings have romped to victory over punching bag opponents like the Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, and Detroit Lions, they have wilted in losses to the Bears, Los Angeles Rams, and New Orleans Saints.

Dates with Patriots, Seahawks Key to Vikings Playoff Hopes

Things get no easier for the Vikings over the final month of the campaign, starting with next week’s road date with the New England Patriots.

It has been 18 years since the Vikings posted a win in New England.

Since then, Minnesota has dropped four straight to the Patriots, who are undefeated at home this season and remain a legitimate threat to represent the AFC once again on Super Sunday.

Vikings enter tough stretch with fuel from victory over Pack https://t.co/EQMPPX2WRu

— Vikings Football (@PurplePride) November 26, 2018

Winners of just three of their past eight on the road, the Vikings face another tough test a week later, when they visit the surging Seahawks in a contest that could shake up the NFC playoff picture.

Minnesota also has a Week 17 home date with the Bears, but the team must regain its consistent form beforehand if it is to make the regular season finale a meaningful contest.