Week 11 is in the books. We look towards Thanksgiving and NFL Week 12 of action. The NFL schedule has set the New England Patriots and the Minnesota Vikings to do battle on Thanksgiving night.
The Patriots are red hot, coming in off of a three-game winning streak, while the Vikings look to get back on track with their impressive season.
New England Patriots vs. Minnesota Vikings
Matchup Info
The game will take place at 8:20 Eastern Time in U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Right now, both teams are in a position to make the playoffs though both could help themselves move up in the standings, position themselves better, and give themselves more security.
Will Kirk Cousins be able to rise above his Prime Time curse, or will the New England Patriots defense be gobbling him up all night?
Only time will tell, but we’ll make our Patriots vs Vikings betting picks and see how they fare over time.
New England Patriots Performance Recap and Analysis
The Patriots come into this one coming off a last-second win over their division rivals, the New York Jets, with one of the best punt returns this season.
This puts the Patriots 6-4 on the season and 4-1 in their last five. Even with the solid 6-4 record, the Patriots find themselves in 3rd place in the AFC East in the NFL standings.
Patriots’ Finding Success
The New England Patriots are finding success with the tried and true Bill Belichick formula of Incredible defense.
When looking at the New England Patriots stats, they rank 2nd in the league in points allowed per game at 16.9 and 4th in the league in yards allowed per game at 302.8.
They are only allowing opponents to convert on 3rd down 36.88% of the time and allow opposing QBs to complete only 55.73% of their passes which is the league’s best.
With fan favorites Judon, McCourty, and Mills leading this unit, there’s no question why they are producing some of the best NFL team stats.
Key Injuries
The Patriots’ offensive line got banged up last week against the Jets. Trent Brown should be back next week as he was only out due to illness.
Watch to see if David Andrews and Isaiah Wynn are on the NFL injury report come Thursday.
Betting Trends to Know
The Patriots have hit the under for the past three games. This is a trend I really like when making my Patriots vs Vikings betting picks.
Minnesota Vikings Performance Recap and Analysis
The Vikings suffered a brutal 40-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in a game where Minnesota struggled to find a way to get anything going on either side of the ball.
However, this is only Minnesota’s second loss of the year, and when it comes to the Minnesota Vikings‘ standings, they still have a firm grasp on the NFC North with an impressive 8-2 record.
Vikings’ Offense
The Vikings’ offense seemingly is contingent on Kirk Cousins’ good play, and as he has been wildly inconsistent this year, that is not a great sign for the Vikings.
When looking at Cousin’s NFL player stats, you can see he both can empower and hold the Vikings back as his 2,461 passing yards are the 8th best in the league; however, his eight interceptions on the season are the 5th worst.
Even in a big win for Minnesota in their game against Buffalo, Cousins only had a 35.0 QBR, and last week, he had a 14.9 QBR against Dallas. If the Vikings have any shot at a deep run in the playoffs, Kirk needs to step it up.
Key Injuries
The Vikings are beaten up on their O-Line, especially on their left side, as Christain Darrisaw, Chris Reed, and Vederian Lowe are all currently injured, giving Cousins even more issues than normal.
Betting Trends to Know
The Vikings are 4-5-1 against the spread this season.
Patriots vs. Vikings Odds
The Vikings are -3.5 point favorites coming into this one of the closer of the NFL matchups this week.
The NFL odds have the Vikings’ moneyline at -175, while the comeback on the Patriots is +150. The point total is currently set at 43.
New England Patriots vs. Minnesota Vikings Betting Picks
Moneyline
I believe that Minnesota has the weapons to get it done. Though the New England Defense is stellar and smoothers opponents, it’s impossible to keep Justin Jefferson from breaking a big play.
The Vikings have the weapons to break a play here and there, whereas New England doesn’t
NFL Pick: Vikings (-150)
Over/Under
The New England Patriots are on a streak of keeping games under the point total. I think this is another one. 43 is awfully high for a team who is coming off a 10-3 game.
I love the Under so much that it’s my favorite of all my Patriots vs. Vikings betting picks.
NFL Pick: Under 42 (-110)
Spread
I really like the Patriots’ defense, and I expect them to be able to keep it close, especially if Kirk Cousins’ play doesn’t improve. I love the +3.5 line but would be weary of playing a line even .5 a point lower.
NFL Pick: Patriots +3 (-110)
New England Patriots vs. Minnesota Vikings Score Prediction
I have a tough defensive battle in this Thanksgiving game. I have the Vikings winning 13-10 in a game that will have you thankful that there are two other games on the same day.
Regardless if you agree with me or not, grab a plateful of delicious home cooking, place your Patriots vs Vikings betting picks, and put up your feet and enjoy some good ol’ fashion Thanksgiving football!
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