Vikings Betting Odds and Picks on the 2024 NFL Season

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Last season, first year NFL head coach Kevin O’Connell turned the Minnesota Vikings into a Super Bowl contender. The pressure is on in the Twin Cities for O’Connell and the Vikings to deliver this season.

Will Minnesota improve upon their straight up and against the spread records?

What will the over under total record be for Vikings’ games at the end of the regular season?

Check out Minnesota’s 2022 SU, ATS, and O/U records, the Vikings’ upcoming regular season schedule, and a Minnesota season betting analysis. Let’s see if Minnesota Vikings have what it takes to back the betting lines to win the Super Bowl.

Minnesota Vikings 2023 Season Betting Analysis | MyBookie NFL Betting Preview

Minnesota Vikings | 63rd season as a member of the National Football League
Owner: Zygi Wilf
Head coach: Kevin O’Connell
Home field: U.S. Bank Stadium | Minneapolis, Minnesota

What is Minnesota’s Straight Up Prediction this Season?

The offense last season should rock. In fact, with the addition of Jordan Addison, it will be downright scary good.

Justin Jefferson is one of the league’s top wide receivers. Addison played for USC last season. Jordan is also the 2019 Belitnikoff Award winner for college football’s top receiver in 2021 while playing with Kenny Pickett at Pittsburgh. He’s got moves that will make a cornerback’s head spin.

Dalvin Cook is one of the league’s top running backs. Kirk Cousins is good enough to run the offense and the line is solid. So there won’t be any issues with the offense. The Vikings, though, should struggle on defense.

Minnesota signed former New Orleans Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport. The former first round pick is a good player when he’s healthy. But Davenport has never played an entire season without suffering an injury that leads to him sitting on the bench for multiple games.

More concerning than Davenport’s propensity to get injured is how well the cornerbacks will play. Left corner Andrew Booth Jr. had 12 solo tackles last season. The 2022 second round pick is unproven.

Right corner Byron Murphy Jr. had 29 solo tackles and 4 pass defenses for the Arizona Cardinals in 2022. Murphy Jr. only played in 9 games.

The safeties will be solid but the corner position is a huge question mark and the schedule is brutal. Cincinnati, Kansas City, Denver, and the Eagles are on the schedule.

So is Detroit twice, Green Bay twice, and the Bears twice. The tough schedule, and the questions on defense, should lead to the Minnesota Vikings to finish the regular season 8-9.

What will Minnesota’s Against the Spread Record be this Season?

Although the Vikings went 12-4 straight up last season, Minnesota finished with a 7-9-1 against the spread record.

Oddsmakers understand that the Vikings’ defense has questions. Oddsmakers also know about the Vikings’ tough schedule.

Minnesota could struggle keeping teams from moving the football both on the ground and in the air. We have to assume a similar ATS record, 8-9 or 9-8, happens this season.

What will be the Over Under Total Record for Minnesota Vikings’ Games in 2023?

In 2022, oddsmakers had no idea what over under total lines to set on Minnesota Vikings’ games. The over dominated the under 11-6.

The total record should be different in 2023. Oddsmakers got a chance to see Kevin O’Connell’s strategies. So did defensive coordinators, which means oddsmakers and D-coordinators will adjust.

We should expect a much more even total record. At the end of the regular season, Minnesota games will have gone 9 over and 8 under.

Super Bowl Pick | Bet Minnesota Vikings to Win
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MyBookie Odds for the Games

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The Minnesota Vikings were one of the surprise teams in the NFL this season. Many experts expected the Green Bay Packers to run away with the NFC North. Well, the Vikings had other thoughts. Starting with their Week 1 victory over Green Bay, that was the spark that started the Vikings run throughout the regular season. Finishing at 13-4, the Vikings were the team that ran away with the NFC North. They won the division by four games over the Detroit Lions. By winning the North, the Vikings earned the #3 seed in the NFC Playoffs.

The #3 seed earned the Vikings a home game with the New York Giants. The Giants are also a team that wasn’t expected to be in the playoff mix this season. We’ll now take a look at the Vikings postseason chances, and we’ll give you our NFL Playoffs Betting advice when it comes to the Minnesota Vikings and their postseason run.

Are the Vikings as Good as their Record Says They Are?

The Vikings are a Mystery

Why is everyone so against the 13-4 Vikings? For one thing, it’s a very rare situation that a 13-4 team gives up more points than it scores. Minnesota scored 424 points, but gave up 427 points. Many of their victories were by three or fewer points, and they had a couple of miraculous come-from-behind victories, including one over the Buffalo Bills, and the 33-point come-from-behind win over the Indianapolis Colts.

One of the main reasons that it’s hard to trust the Vikings is because of Kirk Cousins. Cousins can look like an All-Pro one night, and then look like a practice squad quarterbacks the next. With the weapons that he has on offense, it’s hard to think that Cousins can’t put up better numbers than he has. Justin Jefferson is arguably the best wide receiver in the league, and yet Cousins at times, can’t seem to get on the same page with him.

The Vikings defense is also an issue. As we stated earlier, even though they won 13 games, this unit gave up 427 points, which is an average of right around 25 points per game. It’s hard to win games when your defense struggles like Minnesota’s has.

Betting Numbers and Why We Don’t Want to Wager on the Vikings

The Vikings are a +900 to win the NFC, and a +3000 to win the Super Bowl. While the Vikings have the potential to go on a run, we just don’t trust them. Cousins can be so inconsistent, and the defense can be an issue. While the Vikings could be a good value bet, we’re not willing to risk our money on the Vikings.

While it’s possible that they can beat the New York Giants at home, as Minnesota is 8-1 at home this season, this will more than likely be their only home game of the postseason. We just don’t think the Vikings are better than the Philadelphia Eagles or the San Francisco 49ers, so we’re not going to place any wagers on the Minnesota Vikings.

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History has shown that teams in the NFL tend to have a window of opportunity to win the Super Bowl before the salary cap catches up with them and they are forced to rebuild. For many teams, staying under the cap and still being a playoff team requires a delicate balancing act and a high level of creativity once we get into the free agency period. That is where we are at right now, with one week of transactions in the books. Some teams jumped into the free agent market with both feet in an effort to make a big splash, while others were more about filling holes and trying to get a little stronger in positions of weakness. The Minnesota Vikings have been knocking on the door of serious success for the past few seasons and have the core of a very good team. They have not made any major moves as of yet, but they have been looking to strengthen their squad. Here’s an overview of the Minnesota Vikings and their NFL Odds as it stands.

Minnesota Vikings Odds After Free Agency Week 1

Player Movement and Possible Future Moves

For the past few seasons, the Vikings have been a team that has been great on offense, but who have been missing an elite starting QB to take them over the top. The addition of Kirk Cousins was supposed to address that, and while the Vikings have been better on offense with Cousins at the helm, they have still come up short in the postseason. They finished the season with a 10-6 record to get into the playoffs. They won in the Wild Card, but they were then ousted by the 49ers in the Divisional Round.

For the Vikings, this offseason will more than likely be all about replacing any players that they lose to free agency. This is a pretty strong team from top to bottom, so there really isn’t that much tweaking required to get them to the next level.

One of the first players out the door when free agency opened was Linval Joseph, who bolted to the Chargers. The Vikings were quick to react to that, picking up a very good DT in Michael Pierce from the Baltimore Ravens. Pierce is a great run stopper, but he has had some issues in showing up to camp out of shape, so this is a small risk. After years of struggling with their kicking game, the Vikings finally found someone reliable in Dan Bailey, so perhaps no surprise that they inked him to a new 3-year deal. Minnesota seem intent on keeping their key players before going any deeper in the FA marker, which is why they also offered new deals to S Anthony Harris and FB C.J. Ham. Other than that, it has been pretty quiet in Minnesota.

The Vikings appear to be very close to putting together a Super Bowl team, so it will be interesting to see how they handle the rest of free agency.

The Minnesota Vikings Odds to Win the Super Bowl

The Vikings need to be viewed as a definite playoff team again next season, but the question now is whether they can deliver the goods in the postseason. They are sitting at +2500 right now, which is a great price for a team of this caliber.

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When a team makes a coaching change, the expectation is that the lineup will look a little different the following season. For the Vikings, though, the current squad looks an awful lot like the one Mike Zimmer took to an 8-9 record in 2021, which ultimately cost him his job. 37-year-old Kevin O’Connell has been handed the reins, and it will be interesting to see of he can get this team to close the gap in the NFC North. The Packers lost Davante Adams and might take a step back, while the Lions and Bears are still very much in the rebuilding phase. That seems good for Minnesota t first glance, but when you look at their 2022 schedule, you see that it could well be an uphill battle to get over the 8 ½ games win total that the bookies have in place. Let’s take a look at their season and how to bet on their NFL Lines.

Minnesota Vikings 2022 Season NFL Betting Guide to Help You Wager On Their Odds

Vikings Win Total 2022

We might well get a good idea from what to expect from the Vikings in the opening couple of weeks of the season, as they have a tough start in 2022. They open things up against the Green Bay Packers before facing the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night. They also have a trip to London to face the Saints in the opening month of the season, so definitely a tough start. There are some winnable games in the mix, but there are also tough outings against the likes of the Indianapolis Colts, the Buffalo Bills, and a few others where the Vikings will very much be the underdog. It’s never easy to guess what a team will do with a new head coach in charge, which is why another 8-9 season might be coming, which would mean the under.

Division and Conference Odds

Last season, the Vikings finished 2^nd in the NFC North with an 8-9 record, well off the pace set by the Green Bay Packers, who won 13 games. In the grand scheme of things, this is one of the weaker divisions in the league, with both the Lions and Bears expected to struggle again as they continue to retool and rebuild. What that means is that we are essentially looking at a 2-horse race between the Packers and Vikings, but I still think Minnesota has some work to do to catch their rivals. Probably the best they can hope for is a Wild Card spot. Their odds to win the North are set at +270.

Things are a little different in the NFC Conference as a whole, with no less than 8 teams ahead of the Vikings in the eyes of the bookies. As it stands now, Minnesota is at +1775 to win the conference, which very much puts them in dark horse territory.

Super Bowl Odds

In terms of winning the Super Bowl, the Minnesota Vikings are very much in the longshot category at odds of +4200. As mentioned earlier, there is the possibility that they could sneak into the playoffs as a Wild Card, but even if they do, I’m not so sure they would go very far. It would be a brave person or a big Vikings fan putting any money on this team to win Super Bowl 57.

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For every football fan, hope springs eternal at the start of every new season. Once the games begin, though, it quickly becomes clear which teams will be playoff contenders and which will sink like a stone before the midway point of the season. Every year, though, there are a few teams who are a little tougher to predict. Those teams have a shot at doing well if things go right from the off, but they could also be in real trouble if they hit a patch. It is always worth keeping an eye on those dark horse teams, as they can end up causing trouble for the contenders along the way. The Minnesota Vikings look like one of those types of teams to me this season, so let’s take a closer look at their current NFL odds and how to play them.

2021 NFL Betting | Minnesota Vikings Analysis for the Upcoming Season

Vikings Divisional & Playoff Chances

If they were being totally honest, Vikings fans would probably admit that they groaned out loud when the Packers announced that Aaron Rodgers would be returning to the fold this season. The Green Bay Packers are the class of the NFC North and will remain that way until Rodgers retires or moves on. The Vikings are the biggest threat in the division and are currently +250 to win the North. Not a bad price if you fancy taking a risk, but I am all over the Packers here.

As for making the playoffs, the bookies basically have the Vikings in at 50/50, as they have the YES at -115 and the No at -115. If they are to make it in, it would be through the Wild Card, so a lot is going to depend on what the other teams in the NFC do. The chances of the Vikings making it through the playoffs and representing the NFC in the Super Bowl seem rather slim to me. The bookies tend to agree and have them at +2000 to win the conference.

Viking Regular Season Win Total

If you ignore the Washington Commanders, who won an awful NFC East last season with a 7-9 record, the mark to make it to the postseason in 2020 in the NFC was 8-8. The Chicago Bears got in with that mark, which leads you to believe that the Vikings would probably need to win 9 or 10 games this season to be looking at the Wild Card. Remember, each team plays 1 more game this season.

The Vikings went 7-9 last season, but I could see them going a little better than that this year, although not by a whole lot. The bookies have set their win total at 9 games this season, which is right about where I see them finishing. It might be worth buying a ½ point to take that to 8 ½ games, as that seems like a much more winnable wager.

If they can take care of the Bears and the Lions in their divisional games, Minnesota will have a shot at hitting those 9 wins and making it in as a Wild Card team. That said, this is not a team that inspires a great deal of confidence in me.

NFL Betting News

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NFL teams are ramping up for what promises to be one of the most exciting seasons in history. One of the more intriguing squads heading into the 2021 NFL Regular Season are the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota unperformed in 2020, losing 5 of their first 6 games and finishing with a 7-9 record. Heading into this season, most NFL analysts believe they’re the second best team in the NFC North. There are plenty of future bets we can make on the Vikings. Check out an NFL odds analysis for the most interesting options.

Minnesota Vikings 2021 Season Options to Bet On

2021 NFL Season

When: Sep. 9, 2021 – Jan. 9, 2022

Vikings to Win Super Bowl 56 +2800

On paper, the Vikings have the talent to win the NFC North. The problem? Quarterback Kirk Cousins refuses to get vaccinated. We’re not judging Cousins for his belief. The NFL, though, has said they won’t have time to schedule makeup games. So if there’s an outbreak because of Cousins’ decision, Minnesota may have to forfeit games. Just the specter of an outbreak due to Cousins’ non-belief in vaccinations make the Super Bowl odds underlaid.

Vikings Super Bowl 56 Odds: Underlay

Vikings NFC Championship +2000

Coach Mike Zimmer lamented the Vikings’ effort in Minnesota’s first preseason game, a 33-6 loss to the Denver Broncos. You can’t coach effort. Minnesota is a professional football team. We expect pros to motivate themselves. If the Vikings aren’t motivated, they won’t come close to winning the conference.

Vikings NFC Championship Odds: Underlay

Vikings Worst Regular Season Record +5000

If Minnesota doesn’t care to win games, and Cousins’ vaccine refusal causes the Vikings to forfeit contests, there’s a chance the Vikings end up with the worst record in football.

The schedule isn’t easy. It ranks fifth toughest in the league. So if the Vikings shoot themselves in the foot, they could end up with a worse record than the Jaguars, Texans, and Lions.

Vikings Worst Regular Season Record Odds: Overlay

Vikings NFC North Division +250

Green Bay is more talented. Chicago looks more put together. Minnesota should offer odds comparable to Chicago’s, around +400, then the +250 they offer to beat the Packers and win the NFC North.

Vikings NFC North Division Odds: Underlay

Mike Zimmer Coach of the Year +3300

Zimmer didn’t have control of his team last season. His quarterback could cost him games this season and even his rookies and backups showed zero effort in the first preseason game. At best, Zimmer is a +5000 choice to win coach of the year.

Mike Zimmer Coach of the Year Odds: Underlay

Dalvin Cook NFL MVP +6500

The one shining light on Minnesota’s team this season should be Dalvin Cook. The former Florida State running back is a top pro. If Dalvin stays healthy, he’ll rush for a ton of yards and should score plenty of touchdowns. The odds aren’t overlaid on Cook to win NFL MVP. But they are fair.

Dalvin Cook NFL MVP odds: Fair

Minnesota Vikings Regular Season Wins

The Vikings take on the loaded NFC West and deep AFC North this season. Arizona, Seattle, the Los Angeles Rams, and the San Francisco 49ers can beat the Vikings.

The Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Cleveland Browns can also beat Minnesota. For the Vikings to win 10 games, they’d have to sweep both Chicago and Detroit, which isn’t a foregone conclusion, and beat teams like Dallas, the Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina, and hope to pick up victories versus teams like the 49ers and Rams who are just better than they are.

Minnesota could end up winning 6 or 7 games, but 10 looks like a dream.

Vikings Regular Season Wins Pick: Under 9 +140

NFL Betting News

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The 2020 NFL Draft is now in the books, and while many of the picks went the way we thought they might, there were a couple of surprises to be found through the 7 rounds of selections. Every team in the league is going to be feeling better about their chances of winning the Super Bowl after adding some new blood, but what do the bookies think? We are going to look at the selections made by each team, and then close things out by telling you their latest odds to win it all, so let’s get things rolling with the Minnesota Vikings.

Minnesota Vikings SB Odds & Analysis After Draft For 2020

Round 1

The biggest hole that the Vikings needed to fill was at WR after they traded away Stefon Diggs. That is not the type of players that is easily replaced through the draft, but the Vikings did land a solid replacement to play opposite Adam Thielen. They tool slot receiver Justin Jefferson, who is coming off a championship winning season with LSU, so a very solid pick.

The Vikings also filled another need with their second pick in Round 1, going with CB Jeff Gladney. This is a versatile player who can fill a number of different slots, so overall a solid first round for Minnesota.

Round 2

It was no secret that Minnesota were out shopping for an OT prior to the draft, but when they failed to lure Trent Williams away from Washington, they instead opted to go with Ezra Cleveland, an athletic OT, in the second round.

Round 3

After some big losses during free agency, the Minnesota Vikings were especially thin at CB, so it is perhaps no real surprise that they drafted two at that position through the opening 3 rounds. With the 89^th pick overall, the Vikings took Cameron Dantzler of Mississippi State. This is a player that was among the best at the position in the SEC over the past couple of seasons, so another solid pick.

Round 4

The Vikings had 3 picks in the 4^th round, starting with DJ Wonnum, a DE out of South Carolina. In DT James Lynch, Minnesota got a pass rusher who just set the school record for sacks with Baylor, so expect him to be a disruptive force in the NFL. They closed out the 4^th round with ILB Troy Dye, a player who led the Oregon Ducks in tackles in each of the past 4 seasons.

Round 5

The Minnesota Vikings had 2 more picks in the 5^th round, and they got things started by choosing another CB, this time going with Harrison Hand out of Temple. They decided to load up a little more at the receiver position by taking KJ Osborn out of Miami. He is likely to see some time on special teams, but he is a versatile receiver that should fit in well.

Round 6

Another 2 picks for the Vikings in the 6^th round, starting with OT Blake Brandel, a bit of a project who likely won’t see a ton of playing time. S Josh Metellus was the next pick and is a player with a shot at getting a starting position given how thin the Vikings are at safety.

Round 7

The Vikings closed out a very busy 2020 NFL Draft with 4 picks in the 7^th round. They took DE Kenny Willekes, QB Nate Stanley, S Brian Cole II, and OG Kyle Hinton.

The overall consensus among the experts is that the Vikings get an A grade for this draft. The bookies now have them in at +2500 to win the Super Bowl.

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The Minnesota Vikings may have fallen one step short of reach Super Bowl 52 last season, but after landing one of the most coveted players on the free agent market this offseason, the reigning NFC North champions will hit 2018 with some very legitimate hopes of going one step further than they did a year ago.

No matter how the Vikings fare this coming campaign, you should know that there are a handful of outstanding matchups on Minnesota’s 2018 docket that you just shouldn’t miss out on seeing – and wagering on. Here’s my take on Minnesota’s must bet games in 2018.

Minnesota Vikings 2018 NFL Betting Guide

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 9, vs. San Francisco 49ers, 1 p.m. ET

The 49ers won their final five games in 2017 with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback, but the Niners aren’t getting the win against Minnesota, seeing as how their defense ranked a stellar first overall, second against the pass, second against the run and first in points allowed (15.8 ppg).

NFL Betting Pick: Vikings 27 49ers 17

Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 16, at Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m. ET

The Vikings swept the Packers last season and they knocked Aaron Rodgers out for basically the entire season when they met in Green Bay in Week 6. While I’m expecting Rodgers to make it through this affair, Minnesota is now simply the better team in all three phases!

NFL Betting Pick: Vikings 24 Packers 21

Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23, vs. Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. ET

The foolish Bills just couldn’t wait to part ways with veteran signal-caller Tyrod Taylor. Now they’re going with either, unproven veteran backup AJ McCarron or second-year signal-caller Nathan Peterman. Yeah, that won’t work out too well in this one!

NFL Betting Pick: Packers 35 Bills 17

Week 4: Thursday, Sept. 27, at Los Angeles Rams, 8:20 p.m. ET

The Rams will be looking for revenge against the Vikings in this Thursday Night Football showdown after losing to their conference rivals 24-7 in Week 11 last season. I like L.A. to extract their revenge!

NFL Betting Pick: Rams 23 Vikings 21

Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 7, at Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 p.m. ET

Minnesota will be out for some serious revenge after suffering an embarassing 38-7 smackdown loss to Philly in the NFC Championship game. Unfortunately, they won’t get their revenge even with new starting quarterback Kirk Cousins under center! Philly holds it down for the much closer win this time around.

NFL Betting Pick: Eagles 21 Vikings 20

Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 28, vs. New Orleans Saints, 8:20 p.m. ET

The Vikings needed what is now known as the Minneapolis Miracle to get past New Orleans 29-24 in the NFC Divisional playoffs last season. I’m thinking turnabout is fair play in this one!

NFL Betting Pick: Saints 27 Vikings 24

Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 4, vs. Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. ET

The Lions handed the Vikings their only home loss last season. Um…that’s not happening this time around as Cousins shreds Detroit’s defense to tiny little pieces!

NFL Betting Pick: Vikings 31 Lions 20

Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 18, at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. ET

The Vikes swept the Bears a year ago and I believe they’re going to repeat their feat from last season by getting the road win in this Week 11 matchup against their really longtime division rivals.

NFL Betting Pick: Vikings 35 Bears 17

Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 25, vs. Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET

Break out the brooms, Minnesota is good for the regular season sweep in this affair!

NFL Betting Pick: Vikings 30 Packers 23

Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 2, at New England Patriots, 4:25 p.m. ET

I like Minnesota’s powerful defense to batter and beat up on New England’s Tom Brady in this one to get the statement-making road win against the Patriots,

NFL Betting Pick: Vikings 24 Patriots 21

Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 16, vs. Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET

How do you say easy pickings? Minnesota smacks around Miami’s Ryan Tannehill in this one to cruise to victory!

NFL Betting Pick: Vikings 35 Dolphins 14

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The Minnesota Vikings won the Kirk Cousins Sweepstakes. The reason I write won in italics is because, at least from my perspective, winning the Kirk Cousins Sweepstakes might not be what it’s all cracked up to be.

Will the Vikings Break Through After Signing Kirk?

Before getting into that, let’s check the Minnesota Vikings’ odds to win Super Bowl before and after they signed Kirk.

Minnesota’s odds before signing Kirk Cousins were +900. After signing Kirk Cousins, Minny’s odds remained at +900. Today, June 18, their odds are at +1000 on MyBookie.

Super Bowl future bettors haven’t jumped on the Minnesota Vikings, that’s for sure. There could be a reason that has nothing to do with Kirk, though. The L.A. Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, and New Orleans Saints are all legitimate contenders to win the NFC.

Winning the NFC is the only way to stamp your ticket to Super Bowl LIII if you’re the Minnesota Vikings. That means, the Vikings must beat the Rams, Eagles, Packers, and Saints just for the right to play in Super Bowl LIII.

Now that we’ve established that Minnesota’s odds aren’t necessarily related to Kirk Cousins, let’s dig a bit deeper. Games aren’t played in sportsbooks. They’re played on the football field. Is Kirk Cousins the answer for the Minnesota Vikings to finally get to and win that elusive Super Bowl?

Why Kirk Cousins Might Not Be the Answer in Minnesota

Last season, Cousins was good enough for a 93.9 QB rating. He completed 64.3% of his passes. He threw 27 TDs to 13 INTs. He also threw for 4,093 yards. The man that Cousins replaces, Case Keenum, had a decent season as well.

Keenum threw for 3,547 yards. He threw 22 touchdowns to 7 interceptions. His QB rating ended up at 98.3. There aren’t many differences between Kirk Cousins and Case Keenum stat wise. Why, then, did Cousins sign a 3-year $84 million contract with the Vikings per Spotrac while Keenum signed a 2-year, $36 million dollar contract?

Who knows? No, seriously, who knows?

I don’t know. I fully admit that I don’t know. Not only do I not know not a single person I’ve had a serious conversation with about the subject has given me any indication that they know.

What makes Kirk Cousins so much more valuable as a starting quarterback than Case Keenum? There’s nothing there to imply it. Washington decided to let Kirk go in free agency. The Vikings ponied up $84 million, all of which is guaranteed, for Kirk to go to Minnesota. And, apparently, there doesn’t seem to be any reason why.

I’m not saying Kirk’s a bad quarterback. I’m saying that he might not be the answer in Minnesota. Unlike the NBA, you can’t win NFL games with a single player. A quarterback can’t take over an NFL game because he doesn’t play defense. Put simply, there is no answer in the NFL. It takes an entire organization to get to the playoffs much less the Super Bowl.

Also, Minnesota’s schedule is ridiculous this season compared to last season. San Francisco, Buffalo, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Seattle, and New England are all on the schedule in addition to their NFC North rivals. That’s a list of some strong NFL squads.

So, what’s the answer? Will the Minnesota Vikings break through after signing Kirk? Nope. Not even close.

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There are eight new playoff teams in the NFL this season, tied for the most ever since the league switched to two four-division conferences in 2002. One of those is NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings, which has a chance to become the first team to play a Super Bowl in its own stadium. Are the Super Bowl 52 betting odds in their favor?

Minnesota Vikings 2018 Postseason Betting Analysis

Odds to win NFC: +150
Odds to win Super Bowl LII: +380

True Home-Field Advantage?

It’s possible that the Minnesota Vikings could never leave U.S. Bank Stadium in these playoffs as that’s where Super Bowl LII will be held. The Vikings are the No. 2 seed – next week’s opponent TBA (most likely the Rams) and game will be played on Jan. 14 — so they would have to see No. 1 Philadelphia lose next weekend in the divisional round for Minnesota to not play a single potential road game.

Already, Minnesota is the first team in the Super Bowl era to earn a first-round bye in the same season that they’re hosting the NFL’s biggest game. Only seven teams in NFL history have made the playoffs in a season where their city was hosting the Super Bowl.

Of the host teams that made the postseason — the Dolphins (1970, ’78, ’94, ’98), Buccaneers (2000), Cardinals (2014) and Texans (2016) — only one of them won their division, and none of them received a first-round bye. Those seven teams went a combined 2-7 in postseason play and none made it to a conference championship game.

Two teams have played a Super Bowl in their home market, but not in their home stadium. The Rams in Super Bowl XIV in the Rose Bowl, which LA lost 31-19 to the Steelers. In Super Bowl XIX, the 49ers beat the Dolphins 38-16 at Stanford Stadium, about 30 miles from old Candlestick Park where the Niners used to call home.

Actually, the Vikes wouldn’t even be the home team in Super Bowl LII. The “home” team for the Super Bowl is determined on an alternating basis, and the AFC team is scheduled to be the home club for Super Bowl LII. But the Vikings would be in their home locker room and on their normal sideline.

Wentz Injury Helps Vikings

Minnesota has been the second-favorite to win the NFC until the Eagles lost superstar quarterback Carson Wentz in Week 14 to a season-ending torn ACL. The team looked very shaky behind backup QB Nick Foles in the final three games of the regular season.

Thus a Vikings trip to Philadelphia for an NFC title game doesn’t look as challenging now. The Eagles are much more likely to lose next weekend too. In addition, Minnesota already has wins over NFC playoff teams New Orleans, the LA Rams and Atlanta this year. The only loss to a playoff team was Week 14 at Carolina, 31-24.

No Defense Is Better

Minnesota ended the regular season ranked No. 1 in both total defense (275.9 yards) and scoring defense (15.8), a mark the franchise last achieved in 1969 and 1970. The Vikings allowed just 12.5 points per game at home, holding four teams (the Rams, Bengals, Packers and Bears) to 10 or fewer points. Minnesota did not allow an opponent to hit the 20-point mark at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The NFL’s top-ranked defense (in terms of points allowed per game) has played in the Super Bowl in three of the past four seasons. New England (2016) and Seattle (2013) won titles, but Seattle lost in 2014. The Vikings allowed just 20 runs of 10-plus yards this season, which tied for the fewest in the NFL since the 1995 49ers also allowed 20 such runs. Minnesota finished second overall in run defense at 83.9 yards per game.

Safety Harrison Smith had his 2017 season graded out at 98.9 by the analytics site Pro Football Focus. That rating is the highest of any player in the NFL this season, and that highest mark the site has ever given to a safety. Against Smith this year, opposing quarterbacks had a 22.0 quarterback rating.

Case Keenum For Real?

Before the season, if you told Vikings fans that Case Keenum would play at a Pro Bowl level and potentially lead their team to a Super Bowl, they would have drug tested you.

Keenum finished the season 11-3 as a starter and helped the Vikings win another game by entering just before halftime at Chicago. The Vikings quarterback finished his first season in Minnesota by throwing for 3,547 yards with 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Keenum also posted a passer rating of 98.3, which was the seventh-best in the NFL. He had eight games in which he had a rating of 100 or better.

Despite being blitzed at the second-highest rate in the league and pressured at the seventh-highest rate among qualifying starters, Keenum was sacked at the sixth-lowest rate in the NFL. He led the league in QBR when blitzed and when under duress.

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The Minnesota Vikings are looking to make an extended postseason run in 2016 after recording an impressive 11 wins in 2015 and winning the NFC North division title.

The Vikes have a future Hall of Fame running back, a still blossoming quarterback and a lockdown defense. Now, let’s find out how far that will carry Minny this coming season as well as their current betting odds.

Minnesota Vikings Season Winning Favorites, Division & Conference Odds

2016 Regular Season Win Total Odds

Over/Under 9.5 Wins

Analysis: The only sure-fire road losses I see coming are against Carolina and Green Bay and possible one rod loss against either Detroit or Chicago simply because they’re division rivals. I think Minnesota Vikings also loses two games at home against Houston and Arizona, giving them just four regular season losses or five at most. The Vikes easily reach the 10-win plateau to top their O/U total.

NFC North Division Odds

+180

Analysis: The Green Bay Packers are favored to win the NFC North after finishing one game behind Minnesota last season, but I like the Vikings to win consecutive NFC North titles, mostly because they’ve got the far better defense of the two. At a value-packed +180, the Vikings are the pick to bag the NFC North title in 2016.

NFC Championship Odds

+800

Analysis: I like Minnesota a lot, but I can’t pick them to win the NFC title over Seattle, Carolina or Arizona. Still, at a value-packed +800, Minnesota is worth a wager. They’re legitimate because of their defense. If Teddy Bridgewater and the passing attack improve in 2016, then the sky’s the limit!

Super Bowl 51 Odds

+1800

Analysis: At +1800, Minnesota is offering one helluva’ return should they manage to win it all. They’re a bit of a long shot to win it all, but it’s not completely unrealistic to see the Vikes win it all.

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Adrian Peterson, the same guy you incessantly trolled on Twitter for being a “child-beater” and branded as an old washed-off running back in last year’s offseason, single-handedly carried the Vikings on his back when he ran for an NFL-high 1485 yards plus 11 touchdowns while leading Minnesota to an NFC North-best 11-5 record to go along with the best regular-season ATS mark in 2015 (at 13-3).

Revenge certainly is the best medicine, especially if you are a villain!

Peterson, whose sterling season saw him jump from No. 62 (in 2015) to No. 5 of NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2016, is back with designs on putting up even better numbers in 2016 and there is little reason to believe he will fail in his quest now that the Vikings have retooled their squad with solid pieces all over roster to help him and QB Teddy Bridgewater take Minnesota to the next level.

Will the Vikings hit or miss in the 2016 NFL odds as they move into the new U.S. Bank Stadium? Below we take a succinct look at what NFL bettors can expect from Minnesota in the upcoming season, particularly with regards to their regular season win total.

Minnesota Vikings 2016 NFL Expert Picks

Roster and Playing Schemes Analysis

At 31 years, Peterson is well-aware that his banged up body will soon be giving away to Father Time, so he must make the most of it while he still can. Fortunately for him, the Minnesota Vikings have invested wisely in building their offensive line over the last couple of seasons with players like Matt Kalil—and additionally made some marquee additions in the offseason such as run-block specialist Alex Boone and former Cincy star Andre Smith—which will play an important role in keeping the star running back healthy. The return of John Sullivan after he missed the entire 2015 season will also be a big boost to the O-line.

And it won’t just be Peterson benefitting from this O-line, third-year signaler Bridgewater will also get the needed protection whenever he needs to use his mobility to run the ball or escape pressure from on-coming defenders. As you all know, Minnesota’s offense heavily relies on running the ball—it averaged 138.2 YPG rushing in 2015 (4th-best in NFL) as opposed to ranking second-last in the NFL in passing yards per game (183.0)—so keeping the chains moving will be key.

It should, however, be noted that Minnesota may not need to necessarily run the ball as much as it did last season, thanks to the rise of Stefon Diggs as a reliable receiver and the drafting of an excellent big-man receiver in first-round pick Laquon Treadwell. As per his profile and his showings in the OTAs, Treadwell is an intelligent and pacey receiver, which should offer Bridgewater a formidable option for vertical ball movement, especially when opposing defenders concentrate on Peterson and leave solid options for the QB to move the ball aerially.

As for Minnesota’s defense, well, things have been on the upswing since head coach Mike Zimmer joined the team. The biggest part of this defense has been Minnesota’s strength in using blitz, as opposed standard pass rush pressure. According to Football Outsiders, the Vikings allowed only 5.2 yards per pass when rushing five-or-more defenders in comparison to seven yards when utilizing a standard pass rush. If the Vikings D can continue perfecting their blitz-heavy system, while mixing it up with more ball-hawking, I don’t see why the defense shouldn’t be even better than it was last season.

Schedule and Divisional Preview

Having won the NFC North title in 2015, their first title since 2009 when they defended their divisional crown from the previous year (in 2008), there is great sense of optimism that the 2016 Vikings—who are arguably more talented on paper than their 2009 counterparts that finished the regular season with a 10-6 record—will be able to do even better.

Schedule-wise, things aren’t that bad for Minnesota, as the team will be going against an 18th-ranked strength of schedule in 2016, a much-needed favor compared to the 12th-ranked SOS from 2015. Facing the likes of Dallas, Carolina and Arizona offer the most challenging non-divisional tests for Minnesota, but the biggest concern for Minnesota in 2016 is likely to come from NFC North betting favorites, the Green Bay Packers. The Aaron Rodgers-led Packers have been a tough nut to crack in the division, most recently winning four straight NFC North titles from 2011 to 2014, and finishing a close second (with a 10-6 mark in 2015) despite being hampered with injuries. Finding a way to best the Packers, while also not dropping the ball against divisional foes Detroit and Chicago (and doing well outside the division as well), will thus be very crucial if Minnesota is to repeat as NFC North champion.

Final Remarks and Early Minnesota Season Total Prediction

Having won 11 games in 2015 despite having a weak passing game, I’d expect the Vikings to do even better in 2016 now that there looks to be some hope in Treadwell and Co. bringing a new lease of life to the offense. All this will, however, depend greatly on how Bridgewater plays and whether he can take his game a notch higher. Historically, the QB has improved in every season since his rookie year, so there is reason for optimism, but tempered hopes are recommended because anything can always happen.

Writer’s Pick: Minnesota OVER 10.5 Wins, Season Record: 12-4