The New England Patriots are spending Thanksgiving in Minneapolis, visiting the Minnesota Vikings in the Thursday night affair.
Despite the Patriots on a three-game win streak entering this game, and the Vikings getting torched at home last Sunday, Minnesota is currently a 2½-point favorite (total at 42½), according to BetUS sportsbook NFL odds.
New England Patriots vs. Minnesota Vikings Odds by BetUs
| Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots | +3 ( -110 ) | 42 ( -110 ) | +135 |  |
| Vikings | -3 ( -110 ) | 42 ( -110 ) | -160 | |
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Patriots to Go Fourth?
The New England Patriots are on that three-game win streak of their very own, looking to inch closer to a playoff spot in the AFC. They’re still competing with the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets in arguably the hardest division in all of football, the AFC East. They finished off yet another season sweep of the Jets, but this win would go a long way toward helping their quest to make the postseason..
The Patriots have now closed the gap between themselves and the division lead to just one game, as the Dolphins and the Bills are tied at 7-3. Of course, the 6-4 Patriots cannot rely on a last-second Marcus Jones punt return touchdown to win games as they did in last week’s 10-3 victory over Gang Green.
Having whipped the Jets 14 times in a row, let’s not forget a 10th anniversary (Thanksgiving, 2012) replay of Mark Sanchez’ infamous butt fumble. If no other reason, it was funny.
Vikings in Rebound Game?
The Minnesota Vikings are coming off only their second loss of the season, a beyond-ugly 40-3 deboning by the Dallas Cowboys at home last Sunday. A loss would be inevitable given how well the Vikings were playing, but the Cowboys manhandled them over 60 minutes. Minny hadn’t lost since mid-September (7-0) before getting embarrassed thoroughly.
Many of the league’s observers are now wondering how good the Vikings are. They have one of the best records in the NFL (8-2), primed to win the NFC North. However, the Vikes currently have a -2 point differential over the entire season, a shocking stat considering they’re six games above the break-even number. Minnesota’s had so many games come down to the wire, maybe they’re more fortunate than good.
Despite the critics, the Vikings have one of the more skilled offenses in the NFL. Quarterback Kirk Cousins, running back Dalvin Cook and wide receiver Justin Jefferson who (cementing himself as a top-5 wideout) lead the way. It’s a fair argument that the Vikings aren’t elite in any one area on either side of the ball, but rookie coach Kevin O’Connell has this team gritty and resilient. Of course, it remains to be seen how resilient after last week.
Vikings in Bounce-Back Win
Although the New England Patriots are on a roll, the Minnesota Vikings are the better team as of now. The Patriots have skated by doing the bare minimum on offense to win their last three, but haven’t fared well when needing points. With the electric offense possessed by the Vikings, homestanding Minnesota should win (and cover) here.
The Vikings looked far worse than they had all season last week, and thus their team won’t repeat that effort against the Patriots. New England has a below-average offense, so this game will not hit the total. Expect less than 42½ points, with the Vikings winning their usual close game to move to 9-2 on the season.
Before leaving, and November turns to December, note that Minnesota is 8-1 (+800) to win the NFC, New England 28-1 (+2800) to annex the AFC, according to NFL conference odds.
Add a wager or two to the Black Friday list.
