Minnesota Vikings
• 7-9 last season.
• 13-2 to win NFC South
• 40-1 to win Super Bowl (Westgate)
• over/under 7.5 wins
The betting public is excited about the Minnesota Vikings and with good reason.
Minnesota was 7-9 last season without Adrian Peterson, the best running back in the NFL. The year before they were 5-10-1 without quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who was in his senior season at Louisville.
Now the two are together and 8-8 definitely looks possible. The Vikings have a realistic chance to open the season 3-0. The opener is at San Francisco, a team hit hard by injuries, defections and early retirements. Then its consecutive home games against Detroit and San Diego.
The NFC North figures to come down to a battle between Green Bay and Detroit. The Chicago Bears are a distant 25-1 to win the division. That leaves the Vikings as the team most likely to make waves.
Peterson has yet to take a snap in preseason, but he is healthy and totally focused after having to sit out the entire 2014 season. With Adrian sidelined, it gave Bridgewater a chance to emerge as the quarterback of the future and to many the present.
With Bridgewater now having Peterson and offseason acquisition WR Mike Wallace, he now has two major bullets in his holster.
Defensively the Vikings aren’t the Purple People Eaters, but they’re not too bad. The big problems from a year ago were a 2-8 road record and a 1-5 mark against the rest of the NFC North.
Clearly those negatives must improve if Minnesota is to be taken as a threat in the division and a possible playoff team.
• 7-9 last season.
• 13-2 to win NFC South
• 40-1 to win Super Bowl (Westgate)
• over/under 7.5 wins
The betting public is excited about the Minnesota Vikings and with good reason.
Minnesota was 7-9 last season without Adrian Peterson, the best running back in the NFL. The year before they were 5-10-1 without quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who was in his senior season at Louisville.
Now the two are together and 8-8 definitely looks possible. The Vikings have a realistic chance to open the season 3-0. The opener is at San Francisco, a team hit hard by injuries, defections and early retirements. Then its consecutive home games against Detroit and San Diego.
The NFC North figures to come down to a battle between Green Bay and Detroit. The Chicago Bears are a distant 25-1 to win the division. That leaves the Vikings as the team most likely to make waves.
Peterson has yet to take a snap in preseason, but he is healthy and totally focused after having to sit out the entire 2014 season. With Adrian sidelined, it gave Bridgewater a chance to emerge as the quarterback of the future and to many the present.
With Bridgewater now having Peterson and offseason acquisition WR Mike Wallace, he now has two major bullets in his holster.
Defensively the Vikings aren’t the Purple People Eaters, but they’re not too bad. The big problems from a year ago were a 2-8 road record and a 1-5 mark against the rest of the NFC North.
Clearly those negatives must improve if Minnesota is to be taken as a threat in the division and a possible playoff team.
