Oli Udoh
The Vegas point spread and public opinion are stacked against the Minnesota Vikings entering Week 16. Minnesota hosts the Los Angeles Rams, a team at 10-4 still fighting for the NFC West division.
The Vikings have absolutely no chance to win the NFC North — the honor is already claimed by the Green Bay Packers — but Mike Zimmer’s team can still reach the playoffs if they win all of the remaining three games in 2021 — or win two of three while receiving help from losses by the Saints, Eagles, Washington, or perhaps the 49ers.
Minnesota has won two straight games, neither of which were overly convincing. The Vikings smashed the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football in the first half of Week 14 but utterly collapsed in the 2nd Half. Thankfully, because of a cold-blooded throw from quarterback Kirk Cousins and pass-defended by Harrison Smith with the game on the line, Minnesota hung on for dear life, winning over the Steelers 36-28. After that, the Vikings had a long break, playing again in Week 15 on Monday Night Football. In a slopfest, Minnesota outlasted the terrible Chicago Bears by a score of 17-9.
So, here it stands. At 7-7, the Vikings season — and perhaps the job of the head coach — hangs in the balance.
The only problem is most NFL pundits believe the Rams will win this weekend. According to NFLPickWatch.com, a site that tabulates all expert picks throughout the industry, 83% of voters predict a Rams victory over the Vikings.
If the Vikings have a mini-upset on the brain, they’ll do it with a banged-up quarterback (cracked rib), no RB1 (Dalvin Cook has COVID), and a WR2 (Adam Thielen) maybe returning to action for the first time in three weeks. Thielen was injured in Week 13 against the Detroit Lions, and Minnesota’s offense has played clumsily ever since.
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As for the Rams, they’re getting healthy just in time for the northeasterly jaunt. Los Angeles was ravaged by the coronavirus a bit over a week ago, but that chaos died down. In fact, the team only has one player on the injury report (Greg Gaines, a defensive lineman).
Expert predictions are not a holy grail for, well, anything really. Yet, they provide context for the barometer of public opinion. A team that showcases Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, Kirk Cousins, Eric Kendricks, Harrison Smith, and Patrick Peterson probably shouldn’t be underdogs at home. But here we are.
Notable pundits predicting a Vikings win? Kevin Seifert of ESPN, Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News, Pete Prisco of CBS Sports, Sam Acho of ESPN, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, and Chris Fowler of ESPN,
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).