5 bold predictions for Packers in Week 4 matchup vs. Vikings

The Vikings may be the team heading into Lambeau Field with an unblemished record on Sunday but the Packers still believe they have what it takes to emerge victorious at home. Most betting sites also side with head coach Matt LaFluer's team. DraftKings Sportsbook has the Packers as three-point favorites heading into the NFC North clash.

This week Green Bay is benefiting from the projected return of quarterback Jordan Love to the starting lineup. Malik Willis has successfully piloted the team to two wins in his two starts but the Packers will still be very glad to get their star signal-caller back onto the field.

The Vikings will be sweating the status of their starter, Sam Darnold, all the way up until kickoff. If he's ruled out this line could slide even further in the Packers' direction. The Packers will like their chances of winning no matter who lines up under center for Minnesota. Here are five bold predictions on how the battle between two old rivals will play out at Lambeau Field on Sunday afternoon.

Bold Prediction No. 1: Josh Jacobs will go over 100 yards

Much of the pregame focus will be on how Love's return can expand the Packers' aerial attack. It's still imperative for the offense to run the ball effectively if they want to keep the ball away from Justin Jefferson and Minnesota's offense.

Jacobs was ineffective against the Titans last week and will be motivated to bounce back against Minnesota's front seven. He won't get the 30+ carries he enjoyed against the Colts but it's safe to assume he'll touch the ball over 20 times in this one. The talented back will need to pop one or two explosive plays to finish with a rushing average of five yards but Green Bay has the scheme to make that happen.

Don't be surprised if LaFleur pulls out a few exotic rushing plays designed to get Jacobs the ball out on the perimeter. One of those should pop for over two yards and potentially a long touchdown scamper. 25 carries and somewhere over the century mark on the ground would be a good day for Jacobs and a great indicator of offensive success for the Packers.

Bold Prediction No. 2: Jordan Love will throw less than 25 passes

Love's return will open up Green Bay's aggressiveness on offense, but that doesn't mean he'll be counted on to throw the ball all over the field. The Packers will emphasize quality over quantity during Love's first game back from injury.

The team will still leverage their run game to open up things for the passing attack via play action. The main difference with Love in the game is that Green Bay will take more vertical shots after faking the run. They trust Love's ability to read opposing defenses far more than Willis' due to the gap in the two players' experience levels.

The hope is that Love can hit a few of those deep balls to keep the Vikings' secondary off balance. Anytime they keep their safeties deep the Packers will look to bludgeon them with their ground game. Love can still go over 200 yards passing even if he completes less than 20 throws. He will be a major focus of the pregame discussion but Green Bay will ease him back into action.

Bold Prediction No. 3: The Packers will give up 150+ receiving yards to Justin Jefferson

The Packers' secondary has been productive this year, but they've feasted on some of the least accurate quarterbacks in the league over the last two weeks. That's why the prospect of facing Justin Jefferson should strike fear in the hearts of Green Bay's defensive backs in Week 4.

Jaire Alexander got a pick-six against Will Levis last week but going against Jefferson will give him fits. He doesn't possess the top-end speed to compete with Jefferson at the top of routes. That means he'll be forced to give him a lot of cushion on short and intermediate throws.

The problem with that strategy is that Jefferson can turn relatively short catches into long gains with his run after the catch ability. Expect him to break off one long catch against Alexander in single-coverage en route to over 150-yards receiving for the game.

Bold Prediction No. 4: Luke Musgrave will catch at least five passes

Luke Musgrave only has two catches for nine yards on the campaign. That's a sub-par total for a tight end who came into the league with big-time expectations. The return of Love to full health and the possible absence of Tucker Kraft ahead of him on the depth chart bodes well for Musgrave this week.

He's not going to suddenly transform into prime Travis Kelce on Sunday but he should be due for an upgrade in terms of opportunity. Love will love for Musgrave early in this game to get into a rhythm on some short throws in the first quarter.

That will open up some deep shots down the seam for the talented pass-catcher in the second half. Hitting a few of those early throws combined with a shot or two down the field will give Musgrave five catches for around 75 yards against the Vikings secondary.

Bold Prediction No. 5: The Packers win this game by double-digits

The Packers deserve credit for winning two consecutive games with their run game and defense without Love in the fold. This is the week where Green Bay shows off their full offensive potential again with their prolific quarterback.

Love won't open up the entire playbook on Sunday as he returns from injury but he has too much arm talent to be defeated by Sam Darnold or whomever the Vikings deploy at quarterback. The Packers will ride their rugged run game and some timely passes down the field from Love to a rather surprising, double-digit victory to even up the race for the NFC North crown.