The Vikings Have an Optimistic Vegas Omen

a Dalvin Cook
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The Minnesota Vikings will get a second taste of the New York Giants in the last three weeks this Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Both teams have upside-down point differentials in 2022 but reached the postseason nonetheless. Accordingly, it might get wild in Minneapolis.

The teams met on Christmas Eve in the same building, and Minnesota eeked out a last-second victory courtesy of Greg Joseph’s franchise-record-setting 61-yard field goal. Now, it’s time for the rematch.

The Vikings Have an Optimistic Vegas Omen

And Vegas sportsbooks are on the Vikings side in a couple of ways, with the showdown four days away. Foremost, Minnesota is favored by three, a fairly standard point spread among evenly matched teams — and the advantage tilting slightly to the home team.

The Vikings Have an
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But more interestingly, the Vikings-as-favorites status is noteworthy because of this — the Vikings are 12-0 in 2022 when favored. That’s right. Minnesota hasn’t played a game as the favorite this season and lost thereafter. They’re undefeated. For clarity, this is straight-up against the moneyline.

The foreboding part of this little stat involves next weekend if the Vikings take care of the Giants. Minnesota will likely travel westerly for a date with the San Francisco 49ers if it beats New York, and the 49ers will be favored by at least five points.

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But the 49ers be damned, the Vikings must first win a home playoff game, a feat not accomplished since The Minneapolis Miracle. In fact, the Vikings haven’t played a home playoff game since that magnificent afternoon, and that was five years ago. If this week feels particularly exciting, it’s because of the home playoff game drought.

Not everyone expects Minnesota to beat New York, though. The Vikings seem to be a trendy upset victim by national media — and even a former Vikings player. Former Viking Rich Gannon posted to Twitter on Wednesday, “I am convinced the Giants can head to Minneapolis and beat the Vikings.”

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Bleacher Report also prophesied a Vikings loss, “Running back Saquon Barkley can run wild on a run defense that’s allowed an average of 138.7 yards over the last six weeks. Big Blue avenges its Week 16 loss to the Vikings in an upset.”

Still, the Vegas gods are the Vikings side, if only for a week. Put simply for 2022, when the Vikings are expected to win — they win. When they’re underdogs, they lose. The only exception so far was a Week 10 matchup on the road at the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo was favored by 6.5 points, and the Vikings won by three.

Minnesota and New York haven’t met in the postseason since 2000. The game is not a friendly memory for Vikings enthusiasts.


Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).

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