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2024 Minnesota Vikings Predictions with Odds to Win the Super Bowl

by Ryan Cobbett - 8/5/2024

Minnesota Vikings predictions Justin Jefferson

The Vikings season in 2023 was derailed when Kirk Cousins got injured. Minnesota started slow by dropping three out of their first four games but quickly changed the tide by winning three straight before Cousins went down for the season. Josh Dobbs was brought in to replace him. And though he did win the next two games (to extend the streak to five), he and Nick Mullens failed to finish the season strong. After Week 10, the Vikings lone win was a 3-0 effort against Las Vegas, and the offense averaged just 15.86 PPG on their way to a 7-10 record.

Cousins did lead the team in passing, finishing with a 69.5% CMP% and 18 touchdowns before going down with the Achilles injury. Mullens and Dobbs combined for 2,201 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions over 10 starts. Alexander Mattison led the rushing attack with 700 yards on 180 carries. Backup RB Ty Chandler was tied with Dobbs for the team lead in rushing touchdowns with three, while Chandler also recorded 461 yards. The Vikings did have three receivers finish with more than 900 yards receiving, with Justin Jefferson leading the way with 1,074 yards. He tallied five touchdowns and averaged over 100 YPG. Jordan Addison led the team with 10 receiving touchdowns while finishing with 911 yards. Tight end T.J. Hockenson was the other receiver to eclipse 900 yards, finishing with 960 on the season and five touchdowns.

Safety Camryn Bynum led the Vikings defense with 137 tackles and finished second on the team with nine pass deflections. Fellow safety Josh Metellus finished second on the team in tackles with 116, as he also recorded seven TFLs, 2.5 sacks, five pass deflections, and an interception. Linebackers Jordan Hicks and Ivan Pace Jr. also finished the year with over 100 tackles each. Edge rusher Danielle Hunter finished with a team leading 16.5 sacks. Cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. led the Vikings with 13 pass deflections and three interceptions.

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Minnesota Vikings Key Additions/Losses

This Vikings team is going to take a step back this season. The offense lost Kirk Cousins, Greg Joseph, K.J. Osborn, and Alexander Mattison. Losing your starting quarterback, kicker, as well as two guys responsible for 1,432 yards and six touchdowns, is never a good thing. The defense took a big hit two with edge rushers, Marcus Davenport and Danielles Hunter, along with linebackers D.J. Wonnum and Jordan Hicks, all departing for new homes. That’s 259 tackles and 27.5 sacks to replace.

They did plug some holes in the defense by bringing in Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman, and Jonah Williams, but there are some big question marks that remain. The offense did not full fill the holes left by Cousins, Osborn, and Mattison, as they brought in Sam Darnold and Aaron Jones to rebuild the offense.

Minnesota Vikings New Kids on the Block

The Vikings ended up with seven picks in the last draft, but four of those came in the sixth and seventh rounds. Their draft class is highlighted by future quarterback J.J. McCarthy and dominant edge rusher Dallas Turner. With their other picks, they added to the trenches with two offensive linemen and one defensive tackle, while also adding kicker Will Reichard out of Alabama.

Their fourth-round draft pick, Khyree Jackson, out of Oregon was tragically killed in a car accident during the offseason.

Minnesota Vikings X-Factors

J.J. McCarthy Development- Minnesota is in for a down year this season with questions at quarterback, depth at the skill positions, and their defense. It is important that McCarthy develops quickly so that Justin Jefferson’s time in Minnesota is not wasted. Jefferson and Jordan Addison form a dynamic, deep threat duo for any quarterback.

Offensive Depth- An injury to Justin Jefferson (currently sitting out because of one), Aaron Jones, Jordan Addison, or T.J. Hockenson (injured), and suddenly this offense looks very different. Behind Jones is Ty Chandler, while Brandon Powell and Trent Sherfield Sr. are wide receivers three and four on the depth chart.

Minnesota Vikings Notable Odds

Super Bowl Winner: +8000

NFC Champion: +3500

NFC North Winner: +1000

NFL MVP- Justin Jefferson: +10000

AP Offensive Rookie of the Year- J.J. McCarthy: +2100

Minnesota Vikings Schedule Breakdown

Predicted Win Total: 7.5 Games

Their Week 13 game against the Arizona Cardinals is the only certified, or close to, win on the schedule. They did not get a kind home schedule, with San Francisco, Detroit, Houston, Green Bay, Chicago, Atlanta, Indianapolis, and the New York Jets (neutral, London). That is one home game sacrificed as a neutral site game, four games against playoff teams from a year ago, and three more against playoff potential squads this season. After going through the schedule, there are eight games that can be reasonably labeled as losses and another eight considered toss-up games. In order for the over to hit, they would have to go 7-1 in the toss up games or steal a game or two from the loss category. While certainly possible, and some key road games later in the season, Minnesota would be lucky to match last seasons win total, much less eclipse it.

Minnesota Vikings Predictions

With the improvement of the Bears, the Vikings may not win a division game and are surely the heavy favorites to finish in the basement in the NFC North. It is also quite possible that they could finish at or near the bottom of the NFC altogether. Sam Darnold is the starter until McCarthy is ready. And while he does have weapons around him, he has not proven himself as a consistent NFL quarterback. And the Vikings offense is an injury or two away from being significantly worse. The defense is full of holes. And while Turner should give the unit a boost, there was a lot of production lost from a season ago. Minnesota provides great value at +1400 to have the worst record in the NFL. And while I do not think they are worse than Carolina or New England, there is value here.

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