Some of the Vikings Odds to Win NFL Regular Season Awards
Josh Frey
|
If you’re like me, you’ve already been eying the NFL betting lines in the months since Super Bowl LVI. There are multiple intriguing teams out there that could outperform where the sportsbooks currently have them, and the Minnesota Vikings are one of those teams.
For example, looking at FanDuel‘s sportsbook, the current win total over/under for the Vikings sits at 8.5. They are favored to go over this total with odds of -140 while their under odds are +120. So, if you don’t believe in the new-age Vikings, now is a good time to bet the under as a $100 bet will win you $120 if the Vikings finish the season below .500 once again. Personally, I think the Vikings will finish the season well above this line.
Aside from the team win totals and playoff odds, there are some player props that include Vikings players as well. Today, that is what we will be taking a look at some of the odds for Minnesota Vikings to win some regular season awards.
MVP
Sometimes it pays to have a “go big or go home” mentality. In terms of the AP NFL MVP award, there are multiple Vikings players on the list, but each of them comes with some very long odds. Leading the way is, of course, QB Kirk Cousins. His +4000 odds are the same as Trey Lance, Mac Jones, and Matt Ryan, tying for the 13th-highest to win the award.
Further down the list, you’ll find both Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson as well. Of course, the MVP has essentially become the “best QB” award over the past decade, but the last time the MVP was awarded to a position other than QB, it went to a Viking when Adrian Peterson won in 2012. Maybe lightning strikes again in 2022, but the odds are about as long as actually being struck by lightning.
Both Cook and Jefferson currently carry +15000 odds to win MVP, and it’s hard to imagine a world where MVP goes to Jefferson rather than the person throwing him the ball. That said, it’s certainly not impossible. After all, the Cincinnati Bengals were +15000 to make the Super Bowl last year and look what happened.
Offensive Player of the Year
After dumping former head coach Mike Zimmer, a defensive guru, and bringing in a much more offensive-minded leader of the locker room, Kevin O’Connell, it would make sense to see a lot of Minnesota Vikings high on the list of odds to win the Offensive Player of the Year award. This is certainly the case as both Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson are +3000.
It’s worth noting that FanDuel actually believes that this award will not go to a quarterback as Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is the favorite to win it at +800. Cook and Jefferson’s odds are tied for 17th-best to win the award.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
The Minnesota Vikings put a major emphasis on improving their defense during the 2022 NFL Draft. Interestingly, their first-round selection, Lewis Cine, does not have odds to win this award. However, their second-round pick, Andrew Booth Jr., does.
The top of the list is dominated by the EDGE position, which makes sense given that so many of them went early in the draft. Booth has the 15th-best odds to win DROY, currently sitting at +2000. Seven of the 14 spots ahead of him are held by edge-rushers, and the top three are Aidan Hutchinson (+500), Kayvon Thibodeaux (+550), and Travon Walker (+600).
Comeback Player of the Year
Danielle Hunter once again missed the majority of the season in 2022, and he is one of the players that have odds to win the Comeback Player of the Year this season. As expected, star running back of the Tennessee Titans, Derrick Henry is the favorite to win the award at +350, and then behind him are a pair of New Orleans Saints to round out the top three. Jameis Winston has odds of +550, and Michael Thomas is +900.
Hunter currently holds the 22nd longest odds to win the award at +5000. He’s tied with Tre’Davious White, Chris Carson, Jaycee Horn, Will Fuller, Raheem Mostert, and Marlon Humphrey. Of course, Henry or one of the QBs on the list are likely going to win the award, but it is not outside the realm of possibility for a star EDGE to win.
Coach of the Year
This doesn’t count as a player prop, but first-year head coach Kevin O’Connell does have odds to win the 2022 AP NFL Coach of the Year award as does each of the other NFL coaches. Currently, much of the NFL world doesn’t seem to hold O’Connell in as high regards as Minnesotans, but FanDuel seems to believe in the rookie head coach’s abilities to lead a quality team.
O’Connell is currently a +1600 to win Coach of the Year, making him bedfellows with Mike McDaniel, Kyle Shanahan, Nick Srianni, Josh McDaniels, and Nathaniel Hackett. These coaches are all tied for the fourth-best odds, sitting just behind Brandon Staley, Doug Pederson, and Brian Daboll who all have +1400 odds. In order to win this award, the Vikings likely have to win the NFC North and get a top-two seed in the conference come playoff time. If you think that will happen, then it may be worthwhile to toss a few bucks at these odds.
