Aaron Rodgers won the MVP in 2011 after throwing 45 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
Aaron Rodgers won the MVP in 2011 after throwing 45 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Reuters

The Week 12 Sunday Night Football matchup features a pair of the NFC’s first place teams.

The Green Bay Packers will visit the New York Giants for an 8:20 p.m. ET kick-off on NBC. You can watch a free live stream online with SNF Extra.

New York currently has a 1.5-game lead in the NFC East. At 6-4, they are trying to fight off surges from the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys.

Green Bay entered Sunday tied with the Chicago Bears in first place of the NFC North at 7-3. The Bears beat the Minnesota Vikings earlier in the afternoon.

The outcome of the game might be determined by the play of the quarterbacks. The contest will feature two of the league’s best in Eli Manning and Aaron Rodgers. Manning and the Giants took the victory in the last meeting between the two teams. The Giants upset the Packers in last year’s playoffs to advance to the NFC Championship Game.

Even though Rodgers was the MVP last season, Manning’s second Super Bowl victory led some to question which players was the better quarterback. That discussion has been tempered as of late, as Manning has struggled in recent weeks. He’s thrown just one touchdown and six interceptions in his last four games.

Rodgers, once again, leads the NFL in quarterback rating. He’s been able to stay consistent, despite playing behind a below-average offensive line. He’s been sacked more times (32) than any other quarterback.

Manning hasn’t played well lately, but there’s a good chance he’ll start to turn things around this week. He’ll face a decimated Packers defense that will be missing several key players because of injuries. Linebackers Clay Matthews and cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Sam Shields will be sidelined.

The Giants are expected to win a close one. The consensus betting line at most Las Vegas sportsbooks has New York as two-point favorites at home.

Prediction: This could be a high-scoring affair, with two of the league’s best quarterbacks and worst pass defenses. The Packers are missing their best defensive players, and that could be the difference in this one.

Predicted Score: New York 38, Green Bay 35