Four best Vikings wagers in 2020

Per Las Vegas sportsbooks, the Minnesota Vikings are the 11th-most likely team to win the Super Bowl in 2020. That is, the team is +2500 in the Lombardi trophy department – one would have to lay down $100 and collect $2500 if Minnesota won its first Super Bowl. The Vikings indeed have the talent, coaching, and perhaps gumption to finally breakthrough in February, but this article is not the type to chase longshots.

Instead, the focus of this piece is on palpable, achievable wagers rather than eternal optimist propositions. One can wager on close to anything sports-wise, and the Vikings have prop bets aplenty to explore.

Some bets are just too close to call. For example, sportsbooks currently perch Kirk Cousins at an over/under of 3,750.5 passing yards for the 2020 season (-110). It’s sinfully enticing to pounce on the over here as Cousins has thrown south of 3,750 yards just once in his career as a starter.

That occurred last year with the Vikings and happened principally because the team rested its starters in Week 17. Otherwise, he would have topped this total yet again.

In all likelihood, Cousins will flirt with the 4,000-yard mark because that his modus operandi. Yet, sooner or later, he will probably miss a game or two to injury. Quite frankly, he has never missed a game. It’s bound to happen at some point, just ask Brett Favre about Minnesota and starting streaks.

These are the types of wagers available for Vikings-related betting in 2020. Here are four more safe bets to seize.

Minnesota Vikings: Over 9 Wins (-105)

Zimmer seen here imitating human happiness

The worst the bettor does here is a push. Minnesota probably would have been 11-5 in 2019 had the team not rested its starters in the aforementioned Week 17 game versus the Chicago Bears. The Vikings finished last season with a 10-6 record and then daggered the New Orleans Saints in overtime of the NFC Wildcard game down in the bayou.

It’s more realistic that the Vikings reach an 11-5 standing in 2020 than 8-8, even with sportsbettingdime’s web site having the Vikings winning more than 8 games this season

Their quarterback returns for his third season in a familiar offense, Dalvin Cook personally said he was playing football rather than holding out, the cancerous cornerback play was addressed, and three defensive playmakers are in their primes – Danielle Hunter, Eric Kendricks, and Anthony Harris.

Oh, and then the team promoted a Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator in Gary Kubiak to govern the offense. With Kubiak in charge offensively and Mike Zimmer in charge defensively, the Vikings will not lose more than seven games. Bet the over.

Take the Point-Total Under in NFC North Games

Three of these teams don’t suck

This one is straightforward. In 30 match-ups against NFC North opponents in the last five seasons, the Vikings (and their opponent) have come in under the over/under point total. That’s 66 percent of the time and is therefore an astute wager to put your horns into.

Now, is it going to win money every time? Absolutely not. Do wagers pan out every time? Absolutely not.

However, five years is a sample-size large enough to establish and identify a trend. Mike Zimmer has been the skipper in all 30 of these contests, and his approach to football is to keep the scoreboard tally minimal after his team hops out to a cozy lead.

That is why so many of the Vikings division games hit the under. It is also worth mentioning that many NFC North games tend to be sloppy dogfights and more about survival than salience. Lay cash on the under bets in NFC North games involving the Vikings.

Justin Jefferson: Under 675.5 Receiving Yards (-110)

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Jefferson seen here showing the average number of years wide receivers drafted by Spielman in the 1st-round end up playing for the Vikings.

Stefon Diggs was shipped to the land of Buffalo Wing origins in exchange for draft picks this spring. Minnesota turned around and nabbed LSU playmaker Justin Jefferson in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Already, Jefferson has put some sexy highlights on tape in training camp, but those snippets are not guaranteed precursors to RandyMossVille. Minnesotans are rightfully spoiled in wide receiver history, so they think each wideout that joins the team will have a jubilant explosion in year-one. It never, ever transpires that way, at least not to the degree Moss shredded men, women, and children.

Jefferson will likely develop into a fine wide receiver, but the coronation will not take place during his maiden voyage. A more sensible prognosis for Jefferson is 600-ish receiving yards and five to six touchdowns. Dalvin Cook it too volatile via pass-catching, Irv Smith Jr. and Kyle Rudolph will hog targets, and then Bisi Johnson might even be the WR2 to start the season.

For this year only, stick with under for Jefferson’s receiving output.

Bet on the Vikings to Cover the Spread in AFC Games

The most recent AFC related picture we have access to. Cause we’re professionals

On the docket beginning in September, Minnesota will play the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tennessee Titans. With the talent the team possesses, they should exit the season with a 3-1 or 2-2 record against the AFC foes.

But who cares – that’s the money line.

Against the spread versus AFC opponents since 2015, the Vikings are 14-6. Mathematically, this is evidence that Minnesota covers the spread against AFC teams 70 percent of the time. As mentioned earlier, it is not a sure-thing each time, but gambling never is.

Seven out of ten times for an NFL team to do anything both statistically measurable and gambling-related should make wagering daredevils salivate. Against teams not named the New England Patriots, the Vikings are actually quite good against AFC teams with Mike Zimmer as skipper, so this should be something those looking to make money on the purple look at as a good place to start in 2020.

One more tip on this one: In the circumstances where the Vikings do not cover the spread against AFC teams, it is generally against the elite teams like New England, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, aka teams they are NOT facing in 2020.

So, take this knowledge and go forth to bully mediocre AFC teams with your pocketbook.

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