Do the Vikings show an act of defiance?
One of the most beautiful days of the year awaits US Americans on Thursday. Thanksgiving will be celebrated.
And of course traditionally with a roast turkey as well as lots of live action in the NFL. Three matches will take place in the best football league in the world. The triple header will be concluded by the Minnesota Vikings and the New England Patriots.
Both teams are playing a very satisfying season so far and are on a positive note. While head coach Bill Belichik’s franchise has six wins in ten games, the Vikings are actually currently the second best team in the league behind the Eagles with an 8-2 record. There are, however, good reasons why the betting on a home win for the top team on Thursday night between the Vikings and the Patriots was nevertheless backed with high odds.
Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook and Co. conceded a crushing 3:40 (!) defeat against the Dallas Cowboys in the previous week. It will be interesting to see how the purple-and-white team coped with this sporting disaster and whether it might even have a negative effect on the rest of the season. However, we trust in the home strength and are currently between the Vikings and Patriots rather with the forecast on Minnesota.
Minnesota Vikings – Statistics & current form
Dear Vikings, what was that? Imagine travelling to the Dallas Cowboys with the confidence of seven wins in a row for the eagerly awaited top game and getting blown away in incomparable style. Coach Kevin O’Connell’s team had a similar experience the previous week, when they were thrashed 40-3 and looked more like a team in “tanking mode” than a serious contender.
Who would have thought that we would be talking about a Vikings team that primarily has problems with their offence? Despite outstanding individualists at the most important positions like Dalvin Cook as a running back, Justin Jefferson as a wide receiver or the tight end TJ Hockenson, who was signed during the season, Minnesota has a surprisingly hard time against good defensive lines. The Patriots are another strong defensive team waiting in the wings.
When must the Vikings run be respected again?
It will be all the more important to get a good balance between the pass and the run. While the pass offense still ranks in the healthy middle of the pack in the NFL, there is far too little going on, especially on the ground. The offensive line is having a hard time blocking spaces for Cook. That’s probably why a lot will depend on whether Justin Jefferson has another great day. The receiver is considered one of the best pass receivers in the league, almost beat the Bills single-handedly a fortnight ago and is a hot candidate for a touchdown again. Should he manage one, odds of 2.10 are offered between the Vikings and Patriots for a corresponding bet.
The other two glimmers of hope relate to the home strength and the very good defence. On the one hand, four of the total of five home games have been won. On the other hand, the defence is always good for big plays. Be it sacks, interceptions or forced fumbles. The special teams also play an overriding role, which is why we could well imagine making a prediction between the Vikings and the Patriots on subpar points. The mark of 44 points will not be broken in our eyes.
Predicted Minnesota Vikings lineup:
QB: Cousins, RB: Cook, WR: Jefferson, TE: Hockenson, K: Greg Joseph
New England Patriots – Statistics & current form
Slowly but surely, the New England Patriots are maturing back into a team that belongs in the playoffs. After the Tom Brady era, it had logically taken some time to beef up the team in terms of personnel and to guide the new franchise quarterback to an elevated level. Although Mac Jones is still not the sole saviour at the franchise from near Boston, his experienced coach Belichik has managed to develop a system in which his strengths come into play well.
This has been particularly evident in recent weeks, when New England have delivered strong performances in the league. They have won all three of their most recent matches, although this impressive streak must be put into perspective in that they have lost twice to the Jets and once to the Colts. With the Vikings, a completely different calibre now awaits the third-placed team in the AFC East.
Does the defence compensate for Jones’ weak arm?
One of the things that will be exciting is whether the defence can once again be the match-winner. The cornerbacks are strong as bears, but they will also get crunching assignments with Justin Jefferson or Adam Thielen. With 16.1 points against, New England still has the second-best defence in the league. 36 sacks are also a terrific value, which once again tempts us to set our sights on odds of no more than 44 points in the duel between the Vikings and the Patriots.
The reason why we still don’t see Belichik’s team ahead in the end is Mac Jones. Plagued by injuries, the aforementioned quarterback did not play all games this season, but threw a total of only four touchdowns. Seven interceptions round off the poor results. In the Vikings’ stadium, he will be under pressure time and again. Only if he keeps a cool head, the Pats have a chance.
Predicted New England Patriots lineup:
QB: Mac Jones, RB: Rhamondre Stevenson, WR: Jacobi Meyers, TE: Hunter Henry, K: Nick Folk
Minnesota Vikings – New England Patriots Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
The head-to-head comparison of these teams is relatively quick, because since they are not division rivals, head-to-head matchups are extremely rare. There have only been 13 head-to-head meetings in NFL history. Nine of them went to the Patriots, who also won five in a row against the Vikings, though the last time was in 2018. On Thanksgiving four years later, the cards will be reshuffled.
Minnesota Vikings – New England Patriots Tip
Ten years ago the Patriots last played on Thanksgiving. Overall, it is the sixth duel on this special US holiday. So far, the record is still positive with three wins and two losses. That could change on Friday night, however, as the betting odds tend to swing in the direction of the home team in the clash between the Vikings and the Patriots.
The bookmakers are thus opting for Minnesota’s winning record and against the supposed lack of form that surprisingly appeared in last week’s 3:40 against the Cowboys. We, too, believe it was merely a slip-up and are convinced that the High Quality Offense with Jefferson and Co. will show a different face this time around.
We therefore bet on a home win between the Vikings and the Patriots and get a 1.70 tip at Bwin. Six units is a good bet. Alternatively, it is conceivable to bet on the under 44.5 or that Jefferson, who has been mentioned several times, will score a touchdown. Despite the Pats’ good cornerbacks, Jefferson is the key player in the offense, especially if the running game continues to not work as planned.
