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Last season was a rollercoaster for the Minnesota Vikings. They went 0-3 in the preseason and then won 8 of their first 9 regular-season games. The Kirk Cousins-Justin Jefferson duo was looking fantastic, and having Dalvin Cook in the backfield didn’t hurt either. However, they relied on their offense scoring 30+ points to get victories since their secondary was one of the worst units in football. In the end, they finished 13-4, which earned them their first NFC North title since 2017. Will the Vikings be able to build on their successful 2022 campaign, or will they crumble under the pressure?
Let’s take a look at some of the odds and best bets to be made on the Minnesota Vikings in 2023.
Minnesota Vikings breakdown
2022 record: 13-4
2022 ATS record: 7-9-1
2022 O/U record: 11-6
Key players in: N’Keal Harry (WR), Byron Murphy Jr. (CB)
Key players out: Dalvin Cook (RB). Adam Thielen (WR), Za’Darius Smith (LB), Eric Kendricks (LB), Patrick Peterson (CB)
2023 NFL Draft class: Jordan Addison (WR), Mekhi Blackmon (CB), Jay Ward (S), Jaquelin Roy (DT), Jaren Hall (QB), DeWayne McBride (RB)
Minnesota Vikings 2023 NFL season odds
Minnesota Vikings Super Bowl odds
The Vikings are +3500 to win Super Bowl LVIII. That’s the same odds as the Cleveland Browns which is the 13th-best odds to win it all.
Minnesota Vikings NFC Championship odds
Minnesota is +1800 to win the NFC, which puts the Vikings in front of the Giants (+2500) but behind the Seahawks (+1300).
Minnesota Vikings NFC North odds
At +275, the Vikings have the 2nd-best odds to win the NFC North. The Lions are the frontrunners with +140 odds, while the Bears and Packers follow with +400 odds.
Minnesota Vikings win total odds
The Vikings’ win quota is 8.5 games, with the over priced at -110 and the under coming in with the same -110 odds. They are +550 to finish with exactly 8 victories.
Minnesota Vikings 2023 schedule
Week 1: vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 2: at Philadelphia Eagles (Thursday)
Week 3: vs Los Angeles Chargers
Week 4: at Carolina Panthers
Week 5: vs Kansas City Chiefs
Week 6: at Chicago Bears
Week 7: vs San Francisco 49ers (Monday)
Week 8: at Green Bay Packers
Week 9: at Atlanta Falcons
Week 10: vs New Orleans Saints
Week 11: at Denver Broncos
Week 12: vs Chicago Bears (Monday)
Week 13: BYE
Week 14: at Las Vegas Raiders
Week 15: at Cincinnati Bengals
Week 16: vs Detroit Lions
Week 17: vs Green Bay Packers
Week 18: at Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings 2022 season recap
Minnesota’s 2022 team will go down as one of the least dangerous 13-4 teams in NFL history. The Vikings were tied with the 49ers with the 3rd-best record in football last season, but all of their regular-season success led them to getting knocked out by the 9-7-1 New York Giants in the wild-card round. The improbable 13-4 season could be attributed to many things, but the biggest factors were their schedule and, frankly, luck. The Vikings had one of the easier schedules in football last season, which included a stretch of games against the Commanders, Cardinals, Dolphins, Bears and Saints. And when they had to play above-average teams, they always seemed to have some luck on their side. For example, the ending to their 33-30 overtime win against the Bills was bonkers. And it’s hard to forget about how the Colts blew a 33-0 lead against the Vikings in Week 15. The Vikings were a good team, but not 13-4 good.
Minnesota Vikings 2023 NFL season predictions
The Vikings’ offense is going to look a lot different this season. Dalvin Cook left to join Aaron Rodgers in New York and longtime Viking Adam Thielen left to join Bryce Young in Carolina. However, the centerpiece of the offense will remain the same. Justin Jefferson solidified himself as one of the best, if not the best, wide receiver in football last season. With his speed, route-running skills and incredible hands, Jefferson is expected to be the #1 receiver in the NFL in 2023. Also, T.J, Hockenson is still with Minnesota, and he has elite hands as a tight end. The biggest question for the Vikings will be their defense since they allowed the 3rd-most points in football last year. Even if their defense improves, I’m expecting a lot of regression from their 13-4 campaign in 2022.
Here are a couple of my Minnesota-related predictions for the upcoming season.
Best bet: Minnesota Vikings to finish 2nd in the NFC North (+175)
My pick to win the NFC North this season is the Lions. I’m all-in on Dan Campbell’s team in 2023, and I believe Detroit will be kings of the north for the first time in 30 years. That leaves the Vikings, Bears and Packers to round out the other 3 spots in the division. Immediately, I’m ruling out the Packers. I’m expecting a small rebuild from Green Bay which will keep them out of playoff contention this season. The Packers lost Aaron Rodgers, Allen Lazard, Robert Tonyan and Randall Cobb and barely added anyone. So, between the Bears and Vikings, which team finishes 2nd? The clear choice in my eyes is Minnesota since the Vikes have the far better offense, albeit not the better defense. I’d rather put my trust in Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson than Justin Fields and D.J. Moore.
Minnesota Vikings season record prediction: 9-8
Following Minnesota’s impressive 13-4 season in 2023, it’s hard not to expect a reality check in 2023. Their schedule is much harder with opponents such as the Eagles, Chiefs, Bengals, Chargers and more. However, they do have 4 games against the Packers and Bears which could easily be 4 wins if the Vikings don’t play sloppy football. I expect Minnesota to come up short of challenging the Lions for the division, but they should still end up in front of the Packers and Bears in a relatively weak NFC North.