Packers can drastically improve playoff chances with win over Vikings in Week 10

The Green Bay Packers are sitting in a good spot in the NFC playoff race, but a win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 10 would drastically improve their position, especially within the division race. As it stands now, the Packers are 6-3, sit in last place in the NFC North and hold the No. 7 seed i

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What is the story about?

The Green Bay Packers are sitting in a good spot in the NFC playoff race, but a win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 10 would drastically improve their position, especially within the division race.

As it stands now, the Packers are 6-3, sit in last place in the NFC North and hold the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoff field. Per The Athletic's NFL Playoff Simulator, the Packers have a 64 percent chance of making the playoffs -- up significantly after beating the New England Patriots last Sunday. Another big jump is possible this week.

Per the simulator, the Packers can improve their chances to roughly 77 percent by beating the Vikings. A loss, however, would drop the Packers to 46 percent, or back to coin flip chances. The outcome of Sunday's game

will drastically alter the playoff path for the Packers.

More importantly, a win over the Vikings would improve the team's chances of winning the NFC North to roughly 20 percent, while a loss would drop their chances to about 3 percent. This is a must-win game if the Packers, who already have two losses against NFC North teams this season, want to be competitive in the division race down the stretch.

These next two games are huge. Winning both -- against the Vikings and Rams -- would move the Packers to a 91 percent chance of making the playoffs. Lose both and the Packers sit at 32 percent. That's almost a 60 percent swing of probability.

In terms of rooting interests for the Packers in Week 10, cheer for the Packers (obviously), the Patriots over the Lions, the Raiders over the Seahawks and the Cardinals over the Rams. If all four of those results hit, the Packers would sit at an 82 percent chance of making the playoffs.