NFL Betting: Time to Start Fading the Minnesota Vikings?

Written December 30, 2009 by Anthony Moretti

If you haven’t picked up on it by now, hear this message loud and clear: it’s time to start betting against the Minnesota Vikings

Sure, most handicappers have already picked up on this but considering the general public piled onto the Vikings bandwagon this past Monday night and drove the NFL betting odds from where Bookmaker opened it from seven points all the way to nine shows that many people still have faith in this team.

The story of the week was what happened last Sunday night when the Vikings were whipped by the Carolina Panthers. The news broke that head coach Brad Childress wanted to pull quarterback Brett Favre because he was taking too many hits but Favre simply wasn’t having any of it. Then the story shifted that the rift was more than just the one specific game and that Childress wasn’t happy with Favre’s audibling.

But when you take a closer look at the Vikings struggles of late, even the simple sports handicapping mind has to admit that this is not the same team from previous weeks. The Vikings have now lost three of their last four games.

For starters, running back Adrian Peterson has not carried the load whatsoever and the team has struggled to find balance without his production. Peterson has averaged just 3.3 yards per carry in the last six games. Peterson has totaled just 412 yards on 124 carries in that span and he’s developed quite the fumbling problems, which cost the Vikings a potential win against the Bears. Get a 45% bonus on deposits over $2,000 at BetOnline Sportsbook.

On defense, the Vikings have clearly not been the same team. Defensive backs Tyrell Johnson and Antoine Winfield returned from injury two weeks ago but they still aren’t quite healthy. Meanwhile, Jasper Brinkley, who is replacing linebacker E.J. Henderson, who is out for the year, has been exposed time and time again in both run defense and pass defense.

And then there is Favre, who played well on Monday Night Football but he has still struggled over the last few weeks – something that the New York Jets are familiar with. Granted, he has been sacked more this month than any other month, so the offensive line is letting him down.

While many cappers want to suggest that the Vikings are struggling because of Favre or because of Peterson, it has actually been a team-wide swoon. They have issues to work out but unfortunately for them, this is the worst time of the season to be doing it.

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