XBOX 360 Simulation: Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers

XBOX 360 Simulation: Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers 7:00 ET ESPN

Weather: Cloudy with 40% chance of showers; lows near 45. Winds from the West at 10 mph.

Week 1 of NFL betting concludes Monday night when a pair of NFC Central rivals collide on the first of ESPN’s Monday Night Football telecasts when the Minnesota Vikings (0-0 SU & ATS) invade Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers (0-0 SU & ATS). Kickoff is set for 10:15 PM ET. The Packers went 7-1 SU and 6-2-1 ATS last season, and went 2-0 SU & ATS against the Vikings last season - upending them 23-16 as 1-point road favorites in Week 4 and thrashing them 34-0 as 5.5-point home favorites in Week 10.

1st Quarter:

The Packers won the toss and surprisingly elected to receive the games opening kick; maybe they wanted the Aaron Rodgers era to start immediately. That said; after picking up one first down, the Packers drive stalled.

The Vikings held on to the ball for all of a minute after RB Adrian Peterson got dropped for a three yard loss on first down, and QB Tarvaris Jackson’s next two passes were off the mark.

After a pair of 1st down strikes to WR’s Donald Driver and Greg Jennings, Rodgers got a bit cocky and tried to fit one where he shouldn’t. CB Cedric Griffin picked him off and fell to the turf at the Vikings 11-yard line.

The Vikes offense looked putrid going three and out, and the Packers offense took full advantage driving all the way down to the Vikes 8-yard line before having to settle for a 25-yard FG by K Mason Crosby.

On the Vikings ensuing drive, GB CB Al Harris snuck in front of WR Bernard Berrian to haul in his first interception of the year. The Vikings defense was stout however, and held them to another FG attempt that Crosby nailed from 37 yards out as the first quarter expired. Minnesota 0 Green Bay 6

2nd Quarter:

Under bettors are looking great as the second stanza begins. The Vikings next three plays from scrimmage went as follows: incomplete pass, 1-yard rush, and incomplete pass. Vikings offense sputtering like many felt it would early on. However, Green Bay did nothing with their drive either giving the ball right back to the hungry Vikes attack. Minnesota still did nothing and punted again.

Each club exchanged punts over the next 10 minutes of play before Green Bay finally got a drive going with under two minutes to go in the half. It stalled at the Vikes 4-yard line, and Crosby was called upon to increase the Packs lead to four with 10 ticks left.

On the ensuing kick-off, lightning struck, in the form of Aundrae Allison who streaked 101-yards to paydirt to finally get the Vikes on the board right before the break.

Minnesota 7 Green Bay 9

3rd Quarter:

This NFL betting affair has been very one-sided thus far, but Minnesota made it a game right before the break leaving NFL bettors excited as to what will transpire over the next 30 minutes of play.

The Vikings defense swarmed to start the third allowing the Packers to move the chains once before punting. Minny then methodically moved the ball down the field by way of RB Peterson, but were then the beneficiaries of a roughing the passer penalty that moved them into Packer territory. QB Jackson threw his best pass of the night when he found WR Sidney Rice on a slant, and then followed it up with a 20-yard strike to WR Bernard Berrian on 3rd and long. It was all “AP” from there who picked up his first rushing TD of the year from 4-yards out to give the Vikes the lead for the first time in the game. The snap for the extra point was bobbled by back-up QB Gus Frerotte, but somehow, he found a TE open for a miraculous two-point conversion.