The final week of the 2025 regular season is here, and there is still a lot to sort out, including division winners for half of the league, the top overall seeds in each conference and a few of the final Wild Card spots.
While Sunday's matchup between the Minnesota Vikings (8-8) and the Green Bay Packers (9-6-1) won't impact any of the aforementioned scenarios (the Packers are locked into the No. 7 seed in the NFC, and the Vikings are already eliminated from playoff contention), the 131st meeting between the teams will be a unique one.
Although Minnesota and Green Bay have faced each other twice a year during the regular season since the Vikings inception in 1961 (except for the strike-shortened 1982 season), the two teams have rarely closed the regular season together. Sunday's game will mark only the seventh time in the Border Battle's history the Vikings and Packers will play each other in the regular-season finale. Naturally, both teams have split the previous six such meetings, which are detailed below:
– 1984: The Vikings lost 38-14 at home, closing the season with a six-game losing streak that began with a 45-17 loss at Green Bay.
– 1991: The Vikings lost 27-7 at home in Jerry Burns' final game as Minnesota's head coach.
– 1992: Minnesota defeated Green Bay at home by the same score to finish Dennis Green's first season as head coach with an NFC Central division title.
– 1996: Minnesota fell 38-10 at Green Bay as the Packers clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC Playoffs. Green Bay ultimately defeated New England 35-21 in Super Bowl XXXI.
– 2012: The Vikings defeated the Packers at home 37-34 to finish the regular season with a four-game win streak. Minnesota running back and 2012 NFL MVP Adrian Peterson racked up 199 rushing yards on 34 carries; he finished with 2,097 yards on the ground, just nine shy of breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record. The Vikings traveled to Green Bay in the Wild Card round a week later but lost 24-10.
– 2015: In a game that decided the NFC North, the Vikings topped the Packers 20-13 on Sunday Night Football at Lambeau Field, giving Minnesota its first division title since 2009.
Let's see who the experts are picking to win the game:
Vikings 23, Packers 21 – Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
The Packers are locked into the seventh spot, while the Vikings are looking to the offseason. But the Minnesota defense has been dominant the past eight weeks. The Packers have quarterback injuries on a team playing for nothing, so look for the Vikings to win it behind their defense.
Vikings 21, Packers 16 – Bill Bender, Sporting News
Will Green Bay play their starters? Will that matter? The Packers have allowed an average of 407 total yards in two games without Micah Parsons. Malik Willis (shoulder) could get another start. This is a tough line to gauge until we know who is in – and out – for the Packers.
Vikings 24, Packers 20 – Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News
The Packers won't be taking any chances with so many banged-up offensive players, including Jordan Love, Josh Jacobs, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and some linemen. They also will try their best to rest some defenders ahead of the Wild Card round. The Vikings can now smell finishing above .500 to salvage a rough season of QB transition for Kevin O'Connell. Regardless of the QB they throw in, the Vikings will finish well to make Justin Jefferson and others feel much better for 2026.
5 of 5 experts pick the Vikings, NFL.com
Analysis from NFL.com's Brooke Cersosimo:
Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur announced Thursday that, despite Jordan Love clearing concussion protocol, Clayton Tune will get the start Sunday. He was thrust into action last week, and it didn't exactly go well, but this will be his second career start – his first was in 2023 with the Cardinals. Injuries have caused the Packers to spiral, losing three straight, so getting healthy is likely the main priority before heading on the road for the first round of the playoffs. Minnesota is trending in the opposite direction at the moment, winning its past four games thanks to the dominant play of Brian Flores' defense, which allowed 12.3 points per game in that span. Might we see more of the same with Tune under center for Green Bay? Probably. Offensively, it's still been a struggle for the Vikings. J.J. McCarthy has a chance to start despite dealing with a hairline fracture in his hand. Honestly, at this point, I don't care who the Vikings trot out at quarterback. What I do care about is Justin Jefferson getting 53 yards, which he needs to hit 1,000 receiving yards for the season. He would join Hall of Famer Randy Moss and Mike Evans as the only players with 1,000-plus receiving yards in each of their first six seasons. It'll be a shame if a healthy Jefferson doesn't accomplish that feat because of this season's nightmarish QB play.
2 of 7 experts pick the Vikings, Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report analysis by Gary Davenport:
The Packers are in very real trouble. The defense hasn't been close to the same without Micah Parsons on the field. Quarterback Jordan Love is hurt. Green Bay is probably hoping their most hated rivals win, because the alternative to a trip to Chicago next week is heading to Philly.
Love won't play in Week 18. Neither will running back Josh Jacobs most likely. But this spread smacks of Green Bay not only resting everyone of any import but also rolling over. That's not the momentum they need headed into the postseason – and [Packers Head Coach] Matt LaFleur knows it.
Bleacher Report analysis by Kris Knox:
I certainly don't feel comfortable favoring the Vikings by this many points in a divisional game – regardless of who is at quarterback. However, I think this game will mean a whole lot more to Minnesota than it does to the Packers, who are locked into the NFC's No. 7 seed. I'd expect Green Bay to sit multiple starters on both sides of the ball and to fall behind late as the Vikings try to end their season on a high note.
4 of 6 experts pick the Vikings, The MMQB
5 of 8 experts (3 of 11 total had not submitted) pick the Vikings, ESPN
6 of 6 experts pick the Vikings, The Athletic
Series Notes
The Vikings and Packers have met 130 times in their history, with Green Bay possessing a 67-60-3 advantage in the series. Last year, Minnesota swept the Packers in the regular season for the first time since 2017; on Sunday, the Vikings will try to avoid being swept by Green Bay for the first time since 2019. The Packers claimed the most recent matchup at Lambeau Field in Week 12 with a 23-6 victory to snap Minnesota's two-game win streak against Green Bay.
Ending on a strong note
After dropping four consecutive games in November, the Vikings have made a late-season charge, as Minnesota has won its past four contests. Sunday will be just the fourth time in franchise history the Vikings have won at least four consecutive games going into the final week of the regular season. The previous three instances happened in 1969 (12 consecutive victories), 1998 (seven consecutive) and last season (nine consecutive). The 1998 season is the only one in which Minnesota won the regular-season finale.
