Your “Even Moar Saturday NFL? Thanks Santa!!” Saturday Evening Open Thread

Santa is still slacking off in most ways I see….

Can’t blame him, though.  He’s got a big day tomorrow.  He deserves a little relaxation today.

But at least he gave us the early gift of not just one, but TWO Saturday Varsity Footy match ups today/tonight.

Earlier today, my Ratbirds shamed/got shamed by the Clots making it that much more likely/less likely for the Dirty Birds to make the playoffs.  Add in the fact that I hate the Clots (see the JJ Fozz rule…and fuck the Irsays as usual), tonight I will be in a great/shitty mood.

Why no, this post wasn’t written before that game even began…why do you ask?

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Minnesota @ Green Bay (+9.0, o/u 41.0)

It’s gonna be cold in Green Bay.  Damned cold.  A high today of 20°F is expected to drop to single digits by kickoff, possibly even subzero before it’s over.  I’ll never complain about winter in the south again.  Ah who am I kidding….yes I will.  But what’s the o/u on drunk Packers fans taking off their shirts to get on TV during this one I wonder?  You know there’s gonna be a few, at least.

On the Frozen Tundra itself, the game might not be what we’d have expected even as recently as last week.

Having lost to Carolina last week, Green Bay’s playoff chances took the proverbial dagger.  And thus, Aaron Rodgers has once again been shelved.  Brett Hundley hasn’t been the most stellar backup at times, even with Davante Adams cleaning up the mess.  But there will be no Davante Adams either in this one because Thomas Davis is an asshole.  Defensively Green Bay is, well….Green Bay.

For the Vikings, Keenum to Thielen (and Rudolph and Diggs and McKinnon) has worked pretty well thus far.  But some folks think the cold might affect that in this one.  And maybe it will, I suppose.  But even if it does, I expect Latavius Murray can pick up the slack on the ground enough that Minnesota’s top shelf defense can do the rest.

So again…who wants it more?

Green Bay has nothing to play for but pride, and we’ve seen how well that’s worked out in Rodgers’ absence.  Minnesota on the other hand has clinched the division, but still needs the win to inch closer to that first round bye.

Will home field (and the cold) in Green Bay matter? Maybe in the spread, but probably not.  And almost definitely not in the final outcome of this one I don’t believe.  Minnesota is clearly the superior team on both sides of the ball, and I suspect they take care of business tonight.

Prediction:  Vikings 24, Packers 13

Now have at it in the comments!!!!!!

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