The San Francisco 49ers travel to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 12 with a kickoff time of 4:25 PM ET. The meeting between old rivals will be FOX’s Game of the Week, with coverage across the country except the Seattle and Arizona markets.

The Packers are a 5.5-point favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook, with the line moving due to some critical Niners injuries. Green Bay was a 2.5-point favorite to start the week, but the line moved three points when Kyle Shanahan confirmed the 49ers would be without quarterback Brock Purdy and defensive end Nick Bosa. The 49ers start Brandon Allen at quarterback for this game.

San Francisco is 5-5 and tied with three other teams a game back of Arizona in the NFC West. Green Bay is 7-3 and in third place, two games behind Detroit, in a competitive NFC North division. Below you will find an overview of the crucial play-off implications for these two teams.

49ers playoff photo

The NFC West is stacked from top to bottom. The Cardinals are 6-4, while the Rams, Seahawks and 49ers are all 5-5. Arizona is 2-0 in the division, with wins in San Francisco and at home against LA. The 49ers are 1-3 with a win over the Seahawks and losses to the Seahawks, Cardinals and Rams.

The 49ers are currently ranked 10th overall in the NFC standings. They are tied with the Rams and Seahawks, a game and a half behind the Commanders, for the final wild card berth.

What a 49ers win means for the playoff picture

Due to tiebreakers, the 49ers need help to stay ahead of the Rams or Seahawks in the standings. But a win would bring the 49ers within a game of the Packers in the wild-card race with the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Packers playoff photo

The NFC North was the best division in the NFL this season. The Lions are at the top at 9-1, followed by the Vikings at 8-2, the Packers at 7-3 and the Bears at 4-6. The Packers are 1-2 in division play, with a win over the Bears and losses to the Lions and Vikings.

The Packers are ranked sixth in the overall NFC standings. They are half a game ahead of seventh-place Commanders and one game back of fifth-place Vikings.

What a Packers win means for the playoff picture

It allows them to at least keep pace with the Vikings and Lions in the NFC North and the wild-card race. They would enter week 13 no worse than their current sixth position.

Tiebreaker implications

The 2024 schedule section pits all four teams in the NFC North against all four teams in the NFC West. The Packers are coming off wins over the Cardinals and Rams with this game and their Seahawks matchup remaining. If either division’s tiebreaker comes down to common opponents, this will play a role in the outcome. Additionally, the Packers will likely compete with the 49ers (and the rest of the NFC West) for a wildcard spot, so the head-to-head tiebreaker is critical.