2019 Minnesota Vikings Odds to win the Super Bowl with Expert Betting Predictions

There is a tremendous amount of pressure on the Minnesota Vikings this year. Two years ago, they went 13-3, and people thought they were very legitimate. They upgraded at quarterback - or at least they thought they did - and the respect for them heading into last season was almost universal. But winning is hard in the NFL, as they proved. They went 8-7-1, never could get out of their own way, and endured a lot of turmoil. It was a disaster. But the core is strong, and the pieces are there for this team to be very good. If they have another disappointing year, then it is going to be a very rocky offseason. But there is no reason that that has to happen.

Minnesota Vikings Coaching

Mike Zimmer enters his sixth season as head coach with a 47-32-1 record. His seat is far from the hottest in the league, but he knows he can't have a repeat of last year. And so, he has had an aggressive offseason when it comes to changing his staff. The defensive side is largely the same. But on offense there has been all sorts of reorganization dating back to late last year. Just a few days after winning the Super Bowl as quarterback coach for the Eagles, John DeFilippo was hired as offensive coordinator for the Vikings for last season. Proving that sometimes genius doesn't cross state lines, DeFilippo was fired after week 14 when the offense was a total mess. Zimmer named QB coach Kevin Stefanski his interim replacement, and Stefanski remains in that role now on a permanent basis. But it is not a one-man show. Gary Kubiak retired as Denver's head coach following the 2016 season due to health reasons. He decided to return to coaching this year, was named Denver's offensive coordinator briefly, but couldn't agree with new coach Vic Fangio on a philosophy. So, he is instead the assistant head coach and offensive advisor for the Vikings. He is charged with designing the offense, and he and Stefanski will somehow work together on making it all happen. The offensive staff saw many changes as well, including Kubiak's son Klintbeing named quarterback coach. Kubiak is a very good football mind, and the upside is here for sure as long as everyone can sort out their roles. Kubiak favors a system that Kirk Cousins ran successfully in Washington, so improvement is definitely possible on that front.

Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Situation

Kirk Cousins was the big prize in the QB market last year. And it didn't work out great for the team. It's an odd thing because in isolation his numbers were solid - almost 4,300 yards passing with a completion percentage north of 70, 30 touchdowns and just 10 picks. But it just didn't work like it should, the results weren't there on the scoreboard, and they need to do significantly better. His skilled support is strong, and the system has been adjusted specifically for him, so he should take steps forward - and has to if he wants to stay in Minneapolis. Trevor Siemian was his backup last year but has left for the Jets this year. Kyle Sloter was around as a third-stringer last year and is still with the team. He's joined by Sean Mannion, who threw 53 passes over four years with the Rams, and undrafted free agent Jake Browning, the four-year starter at Washington.

How The Minnesota Vikings Improved

The coaching staff change certainly hasn't hurt. They had a draft that wasn't sexy - drafting a center in the first round won't get many hearts racing - but was solid. If nothing else, it added bodies - they drafted 12 guys and have signed all of them. And they improved the offensive line, which was needed to keep Cousins safe and give him more time.

How The Minnesota Vikings Got Worse

It is tougher to find issues with this team this offseason than many. They took care of business well. They just have to prove that they can translate what they have on paper onto the field now.

Minnesota Vikings Schedule Analysis

They have road trips to Green Bay and Chicago in Weeks 2 and 4, respectively, so the texture of the NFC North is going to be figured out early on this year. And they finish at home against those two teams, with a game at the Rams right before that, so things are not going to be easy late unless they have already wrapped things up - or have nothing left to play for.

2019-20 Minnesota Vikings Betting Odds and Trends

The Vikings are at +2500 to win the Super Bowl, which puts them behind 10 teams and ties them with the Cowboys and Steelers. They are tied with the Cowboys as the sixth choice to win the NFC at +1200. The NFC North is a total logjam, with them tied with the Packers at +190, with the Bears at +200. The season win total is set at 9, with the "over" slightly favored at -115. They are at +110 to make the playoffs, compared to -130 to miss them. With some interesting symmetry, Zimmer is at +2800 both to be named Coach of the Year and to be the first coach fired. Cousins is at +5000 to be named MVP, which has him in a group with mostly running backs - not great company. He is at +2000 to lead the league in passer rating, which puts him behind 10 guys. Reflecting what he did last year, he is +220 to lead the league in touchdowns and a much longer +3300 to lead in interceptions. He's also +330 to lead in passing yards. Cousins has a great receiving corps to work with, and the odds reflect that - Adam Thielen, at +2500, and Stefon Diggs, at +3300, are both among contenders to lead the league in receiving touchdowns, and at +1800 and +3000, respectively, are even more competitive in the race for the most receiving yards. Running back Dalvin Cook is the 10th choice to lead the league in rushing yards at +2000 despite the fact that in his two seasons in the NFL he has not remained healthy enough to play one season worth of games in total. DE Everson Griffen is a long shot to lead the league in sacks at +3300.

2019-20 Minnesota Vikings Predictions and NFL Picks

I see some value in this team. They have much of the same personnel as the 2017 team that went to the NFC Championship, and they have taken steps to get better play from them. I don't think they should be an NFC favorite, and the brutality of their division will be a lot to overcome, but the futures prices both for the Super Bowl and the NFC are bigger than they should be and are at least relatively attractive as a result.

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