The Minnesota Vikings inked Kirk Cousins to a lucrative $84 million contract in the offseason prior to last year. After struggling at the quarterback position for a number of years, upper management believed it had landed its man. While that could still prove to be true the remaining years of the contract, Cousins first go round in the Twin Cities wasn’t exactly what they thought they signed up for. While his 4,298 passing yards ranked No. 10 overall, it wasn’t enough to help Minny take a step forward. In fact, it took a step back in overall production and failed to qualify for the playoffs altogether. With success the ultimate underlier, his first season under center was considered a failure. Because of it, linemakers at online sportsbooks have repressed his stat tallies on the futures odds enough to the point that there just might be some value banking on No. 8 making you some money this upcoming season.
Total Passing Yards: 3950.5
Total Passing TD: 26.5
Season Outlook
The betting markets aren’t buying the Vikings with their odds to win Super Bowl LIV currently checking in at +2501 after initially hitting the NFL betting board at 18-1. That said, the Vikes ( +184 ) have now leapfrogged the Green Bay Packers ( +245 ) and sit just in back of the slightly favored Chicago Bears ( +171 ) to come out on top of what should be a highly competitive NFC North title race. So even though they’re not expected to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, getting back to the playoffs is a reality. For that to occur, Minnesota’s offense must take it to a higher level. With all the top end talent dispersed throughout the roster on that side of the ball, there’s no excuse! It must be better, and it starts with Cousins setting the precedent the moment the pigskin is put into the air at home against the Falcons.
Minnesota Vikings Football Schedule
Week 1: Falcons
Week 2: @Packers
Week 3: Raiders
Week 4: @Bears
Week 5: @Giants
Week 6: Eagles
Week 7: @Lions
Week 8: Redskins
Week 9: @Chiefs
Week 10: @Cowboys
Week 11: Broncos
Week 12: Bye Week
Week 13: @Seahawks
Week 14: Lions
Week 15: @Chargers
Week 16: Packers
Week 17: Bears
Schedule Breakdown
The first month of the season is going to be huge for the Vikings who travel to both Green Bay and Chicago for a pair of crucial clashes. Green Bay looks to have vastly improved its defense in the offseason, while the Bears return almost all the pieces from last year’s dominating stop unit that embarrassed Cousins in Week 17 when Minnesota had to win to reach the playoffs. Kyle Fuller and company limited him to just 132 passing yards! Two of his worst three starts of the year came against Chicago, so it’s safe to assume he’ll need to step up and power through in this year’s meetings for his club to have any shot at division bragging rights. Overall, Cousins’ opponent rank checks in at No. 13 with a number of tough and easy matchups on the docket. That end of the season stretch at the Chargers and at home against the Packers and Bears is daunting to say the least. It will no doubt have a major impact on whether he cashes over tickets on both futures odds offerings.
The Bets
As frustrating a campaign it was for the purple and gold, Cousins still managed to hold up his end of the bargain throwing for the most yards and touchdown passes (30) of his professional career. With that, I’m at a loss as to why top rated sportsbooks are fading those outputs. He’s thrown for at least 4,000 yards each of the last four seasons with his lowest passing touchdown tally checking in at 25. Did Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs get traded in the offseason without me hearing about it? Kyle Rudolph’s still there right? I don’t get it!
The main thing likely giving oddsmakers reservations is Minnesota metamorphosing into a heavy running team once Kevin Stefanski took over the offensive coordinator reigns from the fired John DeFilippo. While Alexander Mattison is a nice rookie piece to add to the roster, Latavius Murray is no longer around. Do you really think Dalvin Cook will be able to avoid the injury bug for the first time in his career? If you do, go head and hit the under on both of Cousins’ prop offerings. I’m selling Minnesota getting it done on the ground and riding a determined Cousins to ticket cashes instead – “You Like That!”
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