6 reasons why the Vikings will be better than the Packers in 2020

Vikings excel in early afternoon games and they have a bunch in 2020

And, this is bittersweet. Minnesota, since 2015, has been terrific in early afternoon games. During the last five seasons, the Vikings have earned more victories in games that begin at 12 p.m. CT than anybody in the NFL with 36 wins.

On the other hand, Minnesota has a record of 10-10 in primetime games during the same time frame, which is 15th-best in the business. The Vikings are truly a middle-of-the-road primetime team.

For perspective, the Packers are also a .500 primetime team since 2015 as they have a 14-14 record in all primetime contests during the last half-decade.

So, there is a discrepancy. It should be noted that primetime matchups are typically against tougher opponents. That’s probably why Minnesota and Green Bay are mediocre at night.

Yet, if you sought to handcraft a Vikings season schedule solely to maximize wins, it would be an astute tactic to load the calendar with the early afternoon games.

This is precisely what schedule-makers did for Minnesota in 2020. Of the Vikings’ 16 regular-season games on the docket, 75 percent, or 12, are slated to kick off at 12 p.m. CT.

Considering that Minnesota has won 72 percent of all games that begin at this time since 2015, the schedule bodes well for them in 2020.