They were the NFL’s last undefeated team and now it looks like the Minnesota Vikings may never win another game. That’s how things roll in the NFL. With two straight road losses, the Vikings have plummeted back to the pack in the NFC and their once firm stranglehold on the North standings is now frighteningly slim. One team with visions of the top spot in the division is the Detroit Lions, who must become the first team to beat the Vikings in their new home during Week 9 in order to get closer.
This contest in Week 9 of the regular season will go down Sunday, November 6, 2016, at 1 p.m. ET at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Odds Analysis
With the Vikings playing the Monday night game, the spread and total have yet to hit the board. The Vikes will open as the favorite once the line is established and I can envision a 6-7 point spread. Minnesota has played five games inside their new stadium, including the preseason, and has gone 5-0 SU and ATS, so I think they feel pretty comfortable at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Injury Report
Haloti Ngata – Detroit’s big defensive tackle is an excellent run stopper along the line and without him plugging up the middle, the Vikings will try and get whatever they can from their 31st ranked run game. Ngata has missed the past few games while recovering from a shoulder injury.
Alex Boone – The Vikings’ already beat up offensive line got another jolt when starting guard Alex Boone was escorted off the field to be evaluated for a concussion. The team has already lost its starting tackles in Matt Kalil and Andre Smith, both of whom were placed on season-ending injured reserve earlier.
Matchup to Watch
It was only a matter of time before the magic wore off for the Vikings. Playing without superstar Adrian Peterson and patching an offense together with veteran Sam Bradford, the shoe was ready to fall at any moment. Well it did two weeks ago in Philadelphia and the Vikings still haven’t found it. Minnesota was beaten up on both sides of the ball and the one-win Bears suddenly became the two-win Bears.
It’s easy to throw all the blame on Bradford for the past two disappointments, but the issues run much deeper. Without Peterson or a competent replacement, the Vikings have no run game. They managed just 57 yards on the ground against the Bears and are next to last in the NFL with an average of 72 yards per game. That failure puts added pressure on Bradford to complete passes and the line to offer protection. That’s failed, too. When the Vikings lost for the first time in Philadelphia, they surrendered six sacks and countless other hits on Bradford. The Bears got to the Vikings quarterback five times and didn’t give him much time to throw. To make matters worse, starting guard Boone could be out with a concussion. Bradford better up that insurance policy.
Free ATS Pick
A return to their new digs is exactly what the Vikings need after getting pounded in back-to-back road games. This is still the same team that rattled off five straight wins to start the year and it’s still the same menacing defense. We’ve found out that the Vikings aren’t as good as their undefeated start and we’ll find out that they aren’t as bad as they’ve been during their losing skid. Plenty of things went right those first five games and not much has been positive the past two. Still the Vikings are a good team with a great defense, and that will win out in the end.
This is a great opportunity for the Lions to gain some ground in the NFC North race but I just don’t think they have enough firepower to dent the Vikings D enough to pull out a victory. Minnesota will make the adjustments on offense to not leave Bradford hanging in the wind and running the football will be a start. The offense needs to be better, there’s no doubt about that, and the Vikings will respond with their return home, where they have yet to lose a game.
NFL Odds: Vikings 22, Lions 17
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