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Opening Line in Vikings vs Saints Favors New Orleans by 7 Points on Christmas Day

Robert Duff

by Robert Duff in NFL Football

Updated Dec 23, 2020 · 10:53 AM PST

Dalvin Cook Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook (33) catches a pass in the third quarter during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020, in Minneapolis. The Bears defeated the Vikings 33-27. (AP Photo/David Berding)
  • The New Orleans Saints open as 7-point favorites over the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day (4:30 pm EST)
  • The 10-4 Saints have lost two in a row, while the 6-8 Vikings are also on a two-game losing skid
  • See below for opening odds analysis and a prediction on which way the line will move leading up to kickoff

The Minnesota Vikings probably aren’t what the New Orleans Saints wanted to find waiting for them under the Christmas tree. Then again, it’s still the NFL regular season, so perhaps it’s not such a bad gift after all.

Minnesota eliminated New Orleans from the 2017 and 2019 NFL playoffs. However, in regular-season play, the Saints hold a 4-1 advantage over the past five meetings since 2010.

After consecutive losses to the Eagles and Chiefs, the 10-4 Saints open as the 7-point home favorites over the Vikings. New Orleans is just 3-3 against the spread as a home favorite. Minnesota is 3-2 ATS as a road underdog.

Vikings vs Saints Odds

Team Moneyline Spread Total
Minnesota Vikings +280 +7 (-105) O 52.5 (-110)
New Orleans Saints -350 -7 (-115) U 52.5 (-110)

Odds taken Dec. 20th at FanDuel.

Vikings Squander Playoff Hopes

Sunday’s 33-27 loss to their NFC North rivals the Chicago Bears knocked Minnesota’s playoff probabilities down to 4%. That’s the bad news.

Here’s the worse news. The Vikings defense couldn’t control the feeble Bears’ rushing attack.

Chicago came into the game rated 28th in rushing in the NFL (93.2 yards per game). The Bears sliced up the Vikings for 4.7 yards per carry, led by a 146-yard, two-TD performance from David Montgomery.

This week, the Vikes get to deal with Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara and the rest of the eighth best scoring offense in the NFL (28.3 points per game).

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Saints Still Have Business To Do

With consecutive losses to the Eagles and Chiefs, the Saints have failed to clinch the NFC South Division crown. In his first game back from a four-game absence due to 11 broken ribs and a punctured lung, New Orleans quarterback Brees took some time to get heated up. Once he found his rhythm, though, he was impressive.

Brees started out 0-for-6 through the air, but finished 15-of-34 for 234 yards. He threw for three touchdowns and was picked off once, on his first series of the game.

However, his completion percentage of 44.4% was the third-lowest of his career. As well, the Saints were just 1-for-11 in third-down conversions.

There was other news that could impact the betting on this week’s game. The Saints lost safety Marcus Williams (ankle), defensive lineman Trey Hendrickson (neck) and wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith (ankle) to injury.

New Orleans also revealed that All-Pro wideout Michael Thomas is done for the year due to an ankle injury. The Saints are also missing wide receiver Deonte Harris, on IR with a stinger.

Defensive end Cameron Jordan was ejected for throwing a punch at Chiefs lineman Andrew Wylie. Might he face supplemental discipline from the NFL?

A Big Easy For Saints

Other than the steady presence of running back Dalvin Cook, something’s been amiss with the Vikings almost the entire season. Now that their glimmer of playoff hope has evaporated, they could go into free fall.

History will be made when these two teams take the field Friday. It will mark the first time in NFL history that during a season games have been played on all seven days of week.

Seven points is a healthy margin to open with, so it’s unlikely that this line will move much at all during the week. There shouldn’t be much money at all going down on the flailing Vikings.

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