Vikings Fans Could Take over Las Vegas. Yes, Really.
Remember the Minnesota Vikings game in 2019 when fans took over StubHub Center in Carson, California, for a win over the Los Angeles Chargers?
That could happen again.
Vikings Fans Could Take over Las Vegas. Yes, Really.
That game transpired four years ago and, in fact, was the last time the Vikings beat a team by 17+ points. The stands were peppered with purple, and on the telecast, it very much appeared like a Vikings home game despite taking place in The Golden State.
Now, with three days before Minnesota takes on the Las Vegas Raiders, bits and pieces of evidence suggest the Vikings-happy crowd will travel well.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweeted Wednesday, “My anecdotal evidence for a while has suggested that every rube in Minnesota is heading to Las Vegas for this weekend’s game. And now this: Vivid Seat’s Fan Forecast projects that 54% of the people at Allegiant Stadium will be Vikings fans. That would be wild.”
A healthy showing of the opposing team’s fans would be nothing new at Allegiant Stadium — this happens at the Los Angeles Rams’ and Chargers’ Stadium, too — but a strong Vikings fan presence could subdue typical NFL homefield advantage. Fifty-four percent of anything for the Vikings at Arrowhead Stadium, for example, simply wouldn’t happen.
But Vegas is a different animal — in more ways than one — a new city hosting NFL activities, so garnering a true-blue homefield advantage will evidently take time. It might also help if the Raiders fielded a winning product or didn’t fire head coaches left and right.
For the game, Kevin O’Connell’s team must win to keep pace in the NFC’s evolving playoff picture. The New York Times’ playoff simulator plops the Vikings’ postseason probability at 44% before the Raiders matchup. If Minnesota wins, the math climbs to 56%. A loss would gut the odds to 29%.
Las Vegas, on the other hand, has a less than 1% chance of reaching the postseason dance and would be required to win its final five games to have a chance at a wildcard berth. Stranger things have happened, but rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell leading the Raiders to five wins in a row seems unlikely.
Not having the majority of home fans in attendance only complicates matters.
At quarterback for Minnesota, the Vikings opted on Wednesday to roll with incumbent Joshua Dobbs this weekend, even after a lousy showing on Monday Night Football against the Bears in Week 12. The Vikings will also have Justin Jefferson in the lineup for the first time since October 8th.
Sixty-eight percent of NFL experts predict Minnesota to prevail, according to NFLPickWatch.com.
Available ticket prices for Raiders-Vikings start around $300 apiece, with taxes and fees included.
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,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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