The Seahawks look to continue their climb up the wild card ladder while the Vikings try to maintain their surprising lead in the NFC North. In a battle between the league’s top two rushing offenses, the Vikings will need a huge outing from yardage leader Adrian Peterson, because they also have the 31st-ranked passing offense.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Minnesota Vikings 0
Seattle Seahawks 0
Over/Under 41
ODDS ANALYSIS
The game is a toss-up and it’s easy to lean toward the home team. Not a bad play considering Minnesota is 9-2 ATS overall and 4-1 ATS at home this season. The Vikings are also the league’s top under team, going 9-1-1. Seattle has been a strong team in the second half of the season in recent years and they’re at it again, going 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS in their past five. Flip a coin and hope it comes up Seattle.
KEY INJURIES
Jimmy Graham – Was lost for the year after suffering a torn patellar tendon in his right knee during last week’s game. He entered the game as Seattle’s leading receiver and was a big piece of the team’s offense. Luke Willson and Cooper Helfet will be asked to increase their production.
Andrew Sendejo – Left last week’s game with a knee injury, leaving the Vikings in a difficult position with the team’s other starting safety Harrison Smith inactive with an injury of his own. Antone Exum started in place of Smith with Robert Blanton taking over for Sendejo. Both safeties are questionable to play on Sunday.
KEY MISMATCH
After a 39-30 win over the Steelers last week, the Seahawks are over .500 for the first time all season. Russell Wilson passed for 345 yards and a career-high five touchdowns and has completed 45 of 59 passes for 605 yards with eight touchdowns and no interceptions in the past two games. Wilson was particularly good on third down and on his touchdown passes. He played well from inside the pocket, hit his receivers on timing throws for scores and came up big every time Seattle needed points. The Seahawks averaged 33 points over the last three weeks. The decision to move Patrick Lewis into the starting center role has helped steady an offensive line that struggled for the first two months. After allowing 31 sacks through seven games, Seattle allowed just six in the last four. They also paved the way for 209 yards rushing by Thomas Rawls against San Francisco two weeks ago. With the defense showing some cracks, the offense may have to pick up some of the slack. Their performance the last few weeks shows they may be up to the task.
KEY STAT
17.6 – Minnesota’s points per game allowed. The Vikings have the NFL’s second-ranked scoring defense and face a suddenly potent Seahawks team that is averaging 33.3 points per game in their last three.
BETTING ANGLE
ESPN’s Football Power Index projected a Vikings win by 0.1 points. It doesn't get much closer than that. This will be a fascinating game to watch as Wilson attempts to scramble away from a steady stream of free Minnesota rushers, but it also could have a significant impact on the NFC playoff picture. The Vikings, unlikely division leaders in the North, have a 56.1 percent chance of winning the division. The Packers hold the tiebreaker there, so the Vikings need to hold serve before their rematch in Week 17. The Seahawks, meanwhile, had a great Week 12. They beat Pittsburgh, and virtually every one of their opponents for a wild-card berth lost. Seattle’s shot at making the postseason hinges on a wild card berth. If they beat fellow contender Minnesota here, it would give the Seahawks another leg up.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
During the past two seasons that both ended in a trip to the Super Bowl, the Seahawks used the best defense in the league to stifle opponents. With cracks in the Legion of Boom, the offense has picked up the slack, reminding us of those powerhouse teams that Pete Carroll coached at USC years ago. If Wilson stays upright he can pick defenses apart, just ask the Steelers. No Marshawn Lynch to tote the rock, no problem. Just give it to Thomas Rawls, who has 290 rushing yards in the past two games and leads the team in rushing. Seattle gave up a bunch of yards to the Steelers last week with Ben Roethlisberger playing like the Seahawks had nine defenders on the field. The Vikings aren’t as potent through the air and Seattle will clamp down on Adrian Peterson. Besides, the Hawks don’t lose in December. They are 12-2 during the month since Wilson’s rookie year and they have the playoffs in sight.
Seattle 27, Minnesota 23
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Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings will go down Sunday, December 6, 2015, at 1 p.m. ET at TCF Bank Stadium. The contest will be broadcast regionally on FOX.
