NFC Divisional PlayoffsDallas Cowboys @ Minnesota Vikings
BSNblog Pick: Vikings -2.5
NFL Betting Total: 45.5
The Minnesota Vikings Super Bowl odds took a hit down the stretch of the season as the team that won 10 of its first 11 games also lost three of its last five. It was a perfect start to the season for the Vikings, who had a lot of things coming together at one time.
Obviously, quarterback Brett Favre made the biggest impact on the team as he introduced a lethal passing game in one of his best seasons as a pro. He garnered MVP votes all the way throughout and helped develop youngsters Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin. Meanwhile, the defense also took off.
But in the final stretch of the season, the Vikings suffered injuries to cornerback Antoine Winfield and linebacker E.J. Henderson, and the defense went south. Beyond that, the running game on offense was not much of a factor in the final six weeks and as the team relied solely on Favre’s arm, the offense became too predictable.
While it was a tough finish to the season for the Vikings, the good news is that they have had a bye week to rest the players that needed some extra time off and to give the coaches a clear path on how to fix the previous miscues.
While most people want to pile on the Vikings and suggest that they fell off with their final stretch, the truth of the matter is that all three losses they suffered – to the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears – all took place on the road whereas they still finished 8-0 at home.
The Dallas Cowboys will be a tough test for Minnesota but the Vikings have consistently played their best football at home. The Cowboys have won four straight games impressively but this is still a team that relies on the run, which the Vikings are good at stopping, and tend to make mistakes in the passing game when they are forced to be one-dimensional.
The Vikings should be fresh and at home, they are tough to run again. Look for them to force the game into Tony Romo’s hands, which can sometimes be dicey.
This will be a close contest all the way around but at home after a bye week, we should a team closer to the 10-1 Vikings rather than the team that finished 2-3.
NFL Picks: Vikings -2.5
