Predicting each of Packers' last six games (playoffs are a lock)

Heading into the final third of the 2024 NFL regular season, the Green Bay Packers are in great shape.

With a dominant 38-10 win over the rival San Francisco 49ers this past Sunday at Lambeau Field, the Packers improved to 8-3 for the year. And while they didn't gain any ground in the NFC North as the Detroit Lions (10-1) and Minnesota Vikings (9-2) each earned wins as well, Green Bay is sitting comfortably in the No. 6 slot in the NFC playoff picture.

With six games remaining, Matt LaFleur & Co. are two games up in the loss column on the Washington Commanders (7-5), who currently hold the final wild-card berth. They have a full two-game advantage over the Arizona Cardinals (6-5), who own the No. 8 slot. And they're three full games ahead of the only three other teams currently in the wild-card hunt, those being the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams, and the Niners, all of whom are 5-6.

You could throw the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks (6-5) in here as well as that division is completely up for grabs, but Green Bay has a two-game lead on them as well. The same goes for the NFC South-leading Atlanta Falcons (6-5) if they happen to stumble down the stretch.

This isn't to say that the Packers can't still win the North because they absolutely can, as both the Lions and Vikings have some challenging games down the stretch. But at this point, a wild-card berth seems more likely.

Starting, of course, with this Thursday's Thanksgiving night matchup with the Miami Dolphins, let's have a look at Green Bay's final six games and see if we can predict the outcome of each.

Packers game-by-by predictions in final six games of 2024 season

Week 13: vs. Miami Dolphins

With a 34-15 victory over the New England Patriots this past Sunday, the Dolphins will bring a three-game winning streak into Lambeau Field on Thursday night. And since Tua Tagovailoa returned from his latest concussion, the Miami offense has looked fantastic.

That said, however, it's impossible to ignore the fact that Tua struggles in the cold weather and has never won a game in which the temperature was lower than 40 degrees at kickoff, going 0-7 during his career.

With the high in Green Bay on Thursday being in the low 30s, it'll be at least 10 degrees cooler at night. And that's being generous. That won't be the only factor here, but the Packers are winning this game.

Prediction: Win (9-3)

Week 14: at Detroit Lions

The Lions don't seem to have a single weakness at this point and are only getting better as the season rolls on.

Jared Goff threw five interceptions against the AFC South-leading Houston Texans a few weeks back and the Lions still took a three-point victory. And on the road, no less. That's not an easy thing to do.

The week before, of course, Detroit dominated Green Bay at Lambeau en route to a 24-14 victory. Don't let that final score fool you, as that game wasn't that close. The Packers are in for a loss in this Thursday Night Football matchup, which will end their hopes of winning the division.

Prediction: Loss (9-4)

Week 15: at Seattle Seahawks

Lumen Field was once one of the toughest places to go into and steal a victory on the road. But that advantage no longer exists for the Seattle Seahawks.

Since the start of the 2023 season, the Seahawks have gone just 8-7 at home and have lost three of seven there this season.

But even taking the field itself out of play, this Seattle team has just been so inconsistent this season. At times, they look like the most formidable team in the NFC West. But in others, they look absolutely dreadful. Let's not forget that one of the New York Giants' two wins this year came against this team.

The Seattle defense ranks in the bottom 10 in the league against the run, so expect Josh Jacobs to feast in this Week 15 matchup in leading the Packers to a double-digit victory.

Prediction: Win (10-4)

Week 16: vs. New Orleans Saints

Remember when the New Orleans Saints were 2-0, and people thought they were legit contenders in the NFC? Seems like a lifetime ago, doesn't it?

Following that 2-0 start, the Saints lost seven straight. To their credit, they've won their last two under interim head coach Darren Rizzi. And they may very well claw their way back into the NFC South race, as they're only two games back of the Atlanta Falcons with some winnable games ahead.

But the Saints' Week 16 matchup on Monday Night Football is not one of those winnable games. Only two teams currently allow more passing yards per game than New Orleans. Just as Jacobs will feast against Seattle, Jordan Love will light up the Saints in primetime.

Prediction: Win (11-4)

Week 17: at Minnesota Vikings

Cheeseheads don't want to hear it, but the Minnesota Vikings aren't going away anytime soon.

Sure, they had some hiccups after that surprising 5-0 start, but they've gotten back on track and easily have one of the top defenses in the league right now.

Much like it went in the first game with the Lions, the Packers were dominated by Minnesota in their first matchup in Week 4, falling down 28-0 before going off in the fourth quarter to make the final look respectable at 31-29.

This second time around, expect Green Bay to be much more competitive in the first three quarters. In the end, however, with one more day of rest than the Packers will have, the Vikings will get the season sweep here, as Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson will wreck the Green Bay secondary.

Prediction: Loss (11-5)

Week 18: vs. Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears had their chance to snap their lengthy losing streak to Green Bay and blew it.

Now with 11 straight wins over the Monsters of the Midway, the only way the Packers lose this game is if they can't move up or down in the postseason seeding and are resting starters. But as that's not likely to be a thing, the winning streak moves to 12, thus giving the Packers a 12-5 record for the year.

Prediction: Win (12-5)

More Packers news and analysis