SPORTS BETTING

• Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers

  Posted on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT by GetChalk

  
  

  Green Bay Packers fans have been known for giving opposing teams a cheeky send off when leaving Lambeau Field. But an army of bare bottoms is no match for what the city of Green Bay has in store for former quarterback and current Minnesota Vikings signal caller Brett Favre when he returns to face the Packers on Sunday afternoon.
   
  Plans are in motion for a four-day celebration, or perhaps defamation, of the return of No. 4. Everything from changing the name of Minnesota Avenue to Aaron Rodgers Drive to serving up a special waffle and fries brunch will have the small Wisconsin town boiling over before the whistle blows.
   
  Oddsmakers have priced Favre and the Vikings as 3-point underdogs for Sunday's highly-anticipated NFC North matchup. Minnesota won the first meeting between these rivals, 30-23, at home in Week 4. Favre passed for 271 yards (24-for-32) and three touchdowns in that game and was obviously emotional as former teammates congratulated the veteran quarterback.
   
  Favre told reporters this week he doesn't expect to be nervous when he takes the turf at Lambeau. However, the same can't be said for Vikings backers, who watched Favre crumble in the fourth quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday.
   
  With the Vikings down 20-17 late in the game, Favre couldn't pull a rabbit out of his helmet like in past weeks. He threw an interception to Steelers linebacker Keyaron Fox, who took the pick 82 yards for six points and snuffed out Minnesota's undefeated run.
   
  Favre finished with 344 yards – his biggest yardage game of the year – but failed to pass for a touchdown for the first time this season and was sacked four times, fumbling on one of those sacks which was recovered and returned for a score by Pittsburgh linebacker LaMarr Woodley.
   
  Green Bay's 3-4 defense will be out for points off turnovers this weekend. The Packers’ stop unit has drastically improved from 2008, ranking third in the NFL in total yards against, and is allowing just 16 points per game. Green Bay is also among the leaders in interceptions, snatching 11 picks on the year.
   
  Four of those interceptions have come from veteran corner Charles Wooden, who played with Favre for two seasons in Green Bay before the quarterback started his well-documented reluctance to retire. Woodson is coming off his biggest game of the season last week, recording an interception and forcing a fumble in the Packers' 31-3 beating of the Cleveland Browns.
   
  Green Bay limited the Browns to just 139 total yards of offense, including shutting down the run for only 58 yards on the ground. But shutting down Cleveland's past-his-prime running back Jamal Lewis and locking down the league's most explosive rusher are two different things.
   
  Minnesota's Adrian Peterson has rumbled for 687 yards on the ground – second in the NFL – and eight touchdowns. Last weekend, Peterson ran for only 69 yards and a score and has topped the century mark in yards just twice this year. His lowest single-game performance was against the Packers, who held “All Day” to 55 yards but not out of the end zone.
   
  Green Bay doesn't have a game-breaking rusher like Peterson, but does have a reliable set of legs in running back Ryan Grant. He's coming off his biggest performance of 2009, putting up 148 yards rushing and a touchdown against Cleveland. Against Minnesota in Week 4, Grant had 51 yards on 11 carries.
   
  And of course, the Packers have Favre's replacement. Rodgers has emerged as one of the best passers in the NFL, sitting second in QB rating behind Peyton Manning. Rodgers has totaled more than 1,700 yards passing with 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions. One of those picks came against the Vikings, who watched Rodgers go for 384 and two touchdowns – a season high for the fifth-year QB out of Cal.
   
  Minnesota's defense started the season with a bang but has stumbled the past two weeks. The Vikings allowed the Baltimore Ravens to score 31 points with 367 yards passing from quarterback Joe Flacco, then were handled by Steelers pivot Ben Roethlisberger, who finished with 175 yards and a score. Injured corner Antoine Winfield is hoping to give the secondary a lift and return from a fractured foot despite reports that he will miss up to six weeks.
   
  Sunday's total is set at 47 points. Week 4's game between these division rivals played over the 46-point number, making it three straight games in which the Vikings and Packers have topped the total. Minnesota is 5-2 over/under while the Packers post an even 3-3 over/under mark.