You Can Still Get Plus-Odds on the Vikings Missing the Playoffs After Week 13
- Vikings enter Week 14 with a tenuous hold on the second AFC wild card
- Minnesota takes shaky road record into Monday Night Football matchup in Seattle
- See their odds to make and miss the playoffs
The Minnesota Vikings enter the stretch run of the 2018 NFL season in sole possession of the second and final wild card in the NFC.
But with a crucial Monday Night Football matchup with the Seattle Seahawks awaiting them in Week 14, the Vikings have emerged as an attractive wager to finish the regular season outside the playoff picture, sporting +120 odds on the NFL special.
Odds the Minnesota Vikings Make the Playoffs
| Will the Minnesota Vikings Make the Playoffs? | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | -160 |
| No | +120 |
Mediocre Road Performances Threaten Vikings’ Playoff Hopes
With two of the team’s final four contests coming on the road, the Vikings’ recent mediocre performances away from US Bank Stadium could represent a real obstacle to their hopes of playing playoff football.
Minnesota has dropped two straight on the road, capped by last weekend’s lopsided 24-10 loss in New England as a 6-point underdog. The loss dumped their SU road record to 2-3-1 this season, and 3-5-1 in nine outings since last December.
Vikings Losers in Seven Combined Meetings with Seahawks, Dolphins
The Vikings’ road woes add to the pressure on the club as they prepare to take on Seattle as 3.5-point underdogs on Monday Night Football.
Minnesota currently trails the red-hot Seahawks by one game in the NFC wild card race, and will need to reverse both their current road slide and a four-game SU losing streak against Seattle to avoid losing further ground.
The Seahawks have been among the best teams in the NFL since overcoming a dismal 0-2 SU start. Seattle has gone 7-3 SU in ten outings since, and has posted outright victories in its past two home dates, capped by last weekend’s 43-16 demolition of the San Francisco 49ers as 10-point chalk.
A Brief Look At #Vikings/#Seahawks History https://t.co/qPw3HmqPh7 pic.twitter.com/4UZFGWhUFO
— Eric Thompson (@eric_j_thompson) December 6, 2018
The Vikings also find themselves mired in a losing streak against their Week 15 opponents, the Miami Dolphins.
Minnesota has dropped three straight to the Dolphins, who have also entered December desperate to close the gap on the Baltimore Ravens, whom they trail by one game in the race for the second AFC wild card.
However, the Dolphins’ playoff hopes could be deflated in this weekend’s date with the New England Patriots as 8-point underdogs, and Miami is also enduring a brutal 1-10 SU slump on the road.
Minnesota Vikings Upcoming Opponents
| Week | Opponent | Current Record |
|---|---|---|
| Week 14 | at Seattle Seahawks | 7-5 |
| Week 15 | vs Miami Dolphins | 6-6 |
| Week 16 | at Detroit Lions | 4-8 |
| Week 17 | vs Chicago Bears | 8-4 |
Must-Win Matchups with Lions, Bears Await
A greater threat to Minnesota’s shaky playoff hopes will likely come in a pair of divisional matchups to close out the regular-season schedule.
The Vikings visit the Detroit Lions in Week 16 before returning home to host the division-leading Chicago Bears in their season finale.
Detroit’s playoff hopes have long faded, but the Lions would like nothing better than to spoil their long-time rival’s playoff chances
With a 4-8 record and firm control of last place in the NFC North standings, Detroit’s playoff hopes have long faded. However, the Lions would like nothing better than to spoil their long-time rival’s playoff chances.
The Vikings claimed a 24-9 decision when the Lions visited back in November, but have struggled to win with regularity in the Motor City, posting consecutive wins just once while going 5-6 SU in 11 road dates since 2009.
With Rams and Saints at 1 and 2, how does the rest of the NFC playoff picture look? https://t.co/TP3hA0yDLo
— NOLA.com (@NOLAnews) December 4, 2018
The Vikings have enjoyed more success against Chicago on home turf, winning six straight, but will encounter a vastly improved Bears squad that currently leads the NFC North standings and will likely still be jockeying for playoff positioning in the final week of the season.
Resurgent Eagles a Threat to Vikings’ Playoff Aspirations
If things were not hard enough already for the Vikings, they must also stay ahead of a trio of wild card contenders that trail them by just one game in the playoff standings, including the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Updated look at Eagles’ path to get into the playoffs https://t.co/UYLJIlUXmD pic.twitter.com/gkJ1dHQXNM
— Zesty NFL Eagles (@zesty_eagles) December 5, 2018
Winners of two straight, the 6-6 Eagles can take over control of first place in the NFC East with a victory this weekend against the division-leading Dallas Cowboys, which would further complicate the Vikings’ efforts to secure a playoff spot.
Deadlocked with identical 6-6 records, the Carolina Panthers and Washington Redskins face far more difficult paths to the playoffs.
Losers of four straight, the Panthers face two homestretch dates with the NFC South-leading New Orleans Saints, while serious injuries to quarterbacks Alex Smith and Colt McCoy have dramatically diminished the Redskins’ odds of making the playoffs to a lengthy +400.
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The seasoned pro has contributed to the likes of Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, the Globe and Mail, and The Nation magazine.
