The Minnesota Vikings shocked everyone when they went into New Orleans and won a wild card playoff game last season. They surprised us even more when they traded away superstar wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
Dec 31, 2019 To win Super Bowl 54: +3300. The Vikings have the worst odds to come out of the NFC and make the Super Bowl. This isn’t all that surprising considering how stacked the conference is. The two teams closest to them in odds are the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks, two teams that have won it all recently.
It’s easy to see why nobody is sure what to make of the Vikings. Throw Dalvin Cook potentially being among the NFL players who could hold out in 2020, and betting on Minnesota could get tricky.
Assuming the Vikes survive banishing Diggs to the sun and Cook is appeased, they just might have something here.
Let’s see how serious sports bettors should be about them by looking at their 2021 Super Bowl odds and providing a case for them this year.
Minnesota owns the 14th-best Super Bowl odds this year, which isn’t really the mark of a true title threat.
I’d argue those odds don’t really indicate how good they are, of course, as Minnesota appears to have all the tools of a legit Super Bowl threat.
The best spot to bet on the Vikings to win it all is BetOnline, but you’ll find similar prices across the internet. The question, of course, is if you should bet on the Vikings to win it all this year.
You can admittedly go either way in that debate, so let’s explore both sides and decide how realistic of a Super Bowl bet Minnesota really is.
The Vikings showed last year that they need to be taken seriously. Kirk Cousins didn’t just finally win a huge game; he took out a very good Saints team in the clutch in their own backyard.
That may have signaled the arrival of Cousins. The Diggs trade could be a negative, but it also has the potential to open Minnesota’s offense and take out a distraction.
Minnesota still has elite offensive talent around Cousins in Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, and rookie wide receiver Justin Jefferson. On paper, this offense could be as dynamic as anyone in the NFL.
Mike Zimmer still calls the shots for a good defense that is getting younger and potentially meaner, too. If Minnesota’s secondary overhaul proves effective and the Diggs trade doesn’t backfire, they may really be onto something.
Trusting in Kirk Cousins remains one of the toughest things to do when betting on pro football. He has flashed brilliance at times, but all too often, he disappoints.
If Cousins is still that guy who takes two steps backward every time he makes progress, Minnesota is obviously in trouble. He’s the main thing that can decide this debate, so figure out which side of the fence you’re on and go from there.
Should Cousins be more solution than problem, the other glaring issue is Minnesota’s pass defense. The Vikings made an effort to completely revamp it, but that unit was their weakness in 2019. Trusting a bunch of young guys to fix things overnight could be problematic.
One more big problem is the fact that the NFC is not for the faint of heart. The NFC North is tough enough, but getting out of the NFC in general looks like a nightmare on paper.
Beyond the thing discussed, one thing working against Minnesota is their franchise history. It’s not exactly predictive, but the team is 0-4 in the Super Bowl.
Maybe that’s a narrative that eventually helps them, but I tend to doubt it. The reality is the Vikings are led by a good-but-not-great quarterback, and their once-elite defense is on life support as they rotate new blood in.
Working out of a rising NFC North and a tough NFC in general, Minnesota will do well just to keep things going in the right direction.
I think they’re back in the playoffs — and a title run isn’t out of the question — but they’re far from being among the top Super Bowl contenders we need to concern ourselves with.
Yes, the dust and confetti has just settled on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Super Bowl 55 victory, yet another incredible feat for Tom Brady.
But of course, we have to start looking ahead to the 2021 season. And it’ll amuse you to find out that the Bucs are not, in fact, the betting favorites to repeat as champions next year.
Seriously! According to the opening odds, the favorites are Sunday’s losing team, the Kansas City Chiefs. Heck, the Bucs aren’t even No. 2 (we’ll get to that in a moment).
So here are the odds on the Super Bowl 56 winner.
(All bets courtesy of BetMGM)
Aside from his Super Bowl 55 loss, Patrick Mahomes is still the league’s premiere talent. It makes sense they’re the favorites.
Aaron Rodgers, MVP. That’s it!
They have a long list of free agents, so perhaps that’s why they’re not favorites.
An intriguing pick with that defense and Lamar Jackson under center again.
Josh Allen and Co. proved last season that they were contenders. Can they carry that over to 2021?
Hmm. On one hand, Aaron Donald and that defense. On the other … are we really betting on Matthew Stafford to deliver a title?
Surprised? Me too. I think this assumes the Niners find a QB that gets them back on track to contend.
Seems kind of low … but does that mean the odds reflect a team that could be without Drew Brees?
Seems about right.
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Are you buying what the Browns are selling after last season?
There’s potential value here … if they can fix their defense and Dak Prescott re-signs.
Another value pick, bu they need to figure out what to do at QB after Philip Rivers retired.
Ooooooo. They were pretty good last season and now enter a very interesting offseason with a ton of draft capital and some cap room.
Too low for the back-to-back playoff contenders?
Justin Herbert looked GOOD in his rookie year!
It all kind of depends on what happens with Ben Roethlisberger this offseason, doesn’t it?
Seems right for a young team still developing, although Kyler Murray took a big step forward in 2020.
Lots of question marks about this team, but there’s a good base there.
We’ve reached the longshots, and the Panthers definitely deserve to be here.
If they get a new QB, maybe these odds move up.
There was some good and bad in Vegas last season. These odds reflect that.
Is Carson Wentz getting traded? Is Jalen Hurts the starter?
(AP Photo/Danny Karnik)
They might be headed for a rebuild sometime soon.
John Elway could be looking for a new quarterback. Again.
Hey, they almost won a NFC East title! (I know, that’s not saying much, but still.)
A pretty successful season given what the expectations were, but they’re not contending in 2021.
A lot to like for Cincy, especially after the upcoming draft. But this number will go up in a few years.
Jared Goff! Dan Campbell! Lots of changes in Detroit.
Yep.
Even if they restart at quarterback, the rebuild is far from over.
Even if they draft Trevor Lawrence, there’s work to be done.