Vikings Playoff Odds Fade to +130 After Bad Loss to Green Bay in Week 1
- The Minnesota Vikings took a Week 1 hit and so did their 2020 NFL playoff odds
- Odds of the Vikings reaching the postseason lengthened from -130 to +120
- The Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers also saw their playoffs odds worsen following opening-week setbacks
Their Week 1 loss served notice that these aren’t your grandfather’s Minnesota Vikings.
No, grandpa’s Vikings would’ve saved their worst stinker of the season for Super Bowl Sunday. They wouldn’t lay an egg like that on opening day.
They did, however, carry on a Vikings tradition – offer hope, build optimism – and then crush it like a bulldozer running over a can of soup.
Sunday’s 43-34 home setback against the Green Bay Packers not only left Minnesota 0-1, it sent the team’s odds to make the NFL playoffs plummeting like the stock market when COVID-19 first hit.
The Vikings were a -130 odds-on choice to be an NFL postseason participant prior to the Week 1 kickoff. Today, that betting line has climbed to +120.
Minnesota Vikings Odds to Make 2020 NFL Playoffs
| Date | Odds to Make Playoffs | Odds to Miss Playoffs at FanDuel |
|---|---|---|
| Prior To Week 1 | -130 | +108 |
| Following Week 1 | +120 | -146 |
Odds as of Sept. 15th.
The Philadelphia Eagles (-118 to -110), Dallas Cowboys (-280 to -225), Indianapolis Colts (-198 to -140), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-188 to -138) and San Francisco 49ers (-410 to -225) also saw their playoff odds worsen following opening-week setbacks.
Slip Sliding Away
The cold weather of a Minnesota winter hasn’t even hit yet and already bookmakers are sending the temperature of the Vikings’ postseason chances into sub-zero locales.
Entering play Sunday, the Vikings were a solid co-sixth choice to make the NFL playoffs. That means the oddsmakers viewed Minnesota as a playoff team prior to Sunday’s setback.
#Packers win 43-34, most points #Vikings have given up in a game in Mike Zimmer's tenure as head coach. pic.twitter.com/NbzCT5R2W3
— Mike Clemens (@MikeClemensNFL) September 14, 2020
Today, the gleam is off that prediction. There are 18 teams now assigned better odds than Minnesota to be postseason participants.
That list includes nine NFC clubs. The Chicago Bears (+110), Arizona Cardinals (+116) and Los Angeles Rams (-136) are all assigned better playoff chances today than Minny.
Packers Eat Purple People Eaters’ Lunch
Early on, it appeared that Minnesota’s defense might save the day. The Vikings came up with a pair of early red-zone stands, forcing Green Bay to settle for field goals.
When all was said and done, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers dominated Minnesota’s defense. Green Bay held the ball for an astonishing 41:16 of game time and compiled 522 yards of offense.
Rodgers absurd TD dime to Davante Adams 😯
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/n8luvGCCNc
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 13, 2020
The Vikings frequently packed eight players in the box to slow Packers running back Aaron Jones. Jones averaged 6.7 yards per carry last season in two games against Minnesota.
Rodgers simply took what the Vikes were willing to give him. Receiver Davante Adams caught a franchise-record 14 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns.
Offense Goes AWOL
Minnesota opted to invest heavily in offense. Quarterback Kirk Cousins (two-year, $66-million extension) and running back Dalvin Cook (five-year, $63-million extension) both got paid during the offseason. But in Week 1, that investment didn’t pay off.
No franchise tag situation in Minnesota: Pro Bowl RB Dalvin Cook and the #Vikings have agreed to a 5yr, $63M extension, sources tell @RapSheet and me. After just 29 career games, Cook locks in over $28M guaranteed.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 12, 2020
Cook rushed for 50 yards in the loss. Cousins and the Minny offense possessed the ball for just 18:44.
That’s the lowest time of possession number ever posted by the Vikings since the NFL first began tabulating the stat in 1977.
It’s Going to Get Worse
Minnesota’s defense, rebuilt after so many key players left via free agency, looks to still be under construction. Rodgers exploited a secondary that listed three new starters.
With Danielle Hunter (neck injury) out and newcomer Yannick Ngakoue (0 tackles, 0 sacks) a non-factor, there was no pass rush in evidence whatsoever.
Disturbing no-show by Vikings on defense today.
— Dan Hanzus (@DanHanzus) September 13, 2020
Four of Minnesota’s first five games are against 2019 playoff clubs. Things could get a lot worse in a hurry.
Pick: Minnesota Vikings to miss playoffs (-146)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
