Vikings 1pt favorite @ home...

Yep, the line started at -2.5, bettors are piling on the Saints for the win. 

That's fine. Don't want anything getting in their heads, it's time for focus not hype. Everyone get your minds right and bring it Sunday night!

Hard to disagree with it from the bettors perspective. The Saints laid a huge egg opening day then ran off 5 straight. We were up and down before running off 3 straight. I think we had the harder road to travel. Not all bettors view that bigger picture. Whatever the bookies decide I like our odds. We nearly pulled off some almosts in a couple of difficult environments with a massive sprinkling of terrible luck mixed in. Yes we had our egg too. Can you say battle tested? My biggest concern is the Saints had to have "Revenge" written on the calendar for this day. We better be ready for a blitzkrieg.

Should be a good game.  I don't think the Saints are as good as the Rams; definitely not on D.  I'll admit I'll be a more than a little PO'd if we lose at home to NO.  The Saints are good, but the Vikes have 84 million invested to the new leader to win games like this.  This Viking team has to start beating good teams too.  Time to put up or shut up. 

Vikes by at least 7.

@"HappyViking" said: Should be a good game.  I don't think the Saints are as good as the Rams; definitely not on D.  I'll admit I'll be a more than a little PO'd if we lose at home to NO.  The Saints are good, but the Vikes have 84 million invested to the new leader to win games like this.  This Viking team has to start beating good teams too.  Time to put up or shut up. 

Vikes by at least 7.

I hope they learn one thing from the previous game and that they close the door and don't let them back in. Keep their feet on their throats and don't let up. 

@"KingBash" said:

@"HappyViking" said: Should be a good game.  I don't think the Saints are as good as the Rams; definitely not on D.  I'll admit I'll be a more than a little PO'd if we lose at home to NO.  The Saints are good, but the Vikes have 84 million invested to the new leader to win games like this.  This Viking team has to start beating good teams too.  Time to put up or shut up. 

Vikes by at least 7.

Unfortunately I'm pretty sure I can see Brees carving our secondary up. We're getting out-schemed weekly still and Brees is... Brees.

@"KingBash" said:

@"HappyViking" said:
Should be a good game.  I don't think the Saints are as good as the Rams; definitely not on D.  I'll admit I'll be a more than a little PO'd if we lose at home to NO.  The Saints are good, but the Vikes have 84 million invested to the new leader to win games like this.  This Viking team has to start beating good teams too.  Time to put up or shut up. 

Vikes by at least 7.

Unfortunately I'm pretty sure I can see Brees carving our secondary up. We're getting out-schemed weekly still and Brees is... Brees.

I think Kirk will light them up too.  Flaco threw for 280 and 2 TDs, and it took a stunning missed PAT for NO to beat the Ravens last week.  I doubt they win twice in a row on the road.  This game is winnable.

this game is going to be a bitch... Brees against our depleted defense with Ingram and Kamara.. its going to be damn tough to hold that O in check at all unless we get healthy quickly on D.

our offense could struggle as well with the aints being one of those Ds that just seems to make the big play when needed,  similar to ours before they got shit figured out last year.  I am not comfortable at all with this coming match up.  

Our fans better be ready to scream all night and make shit tough for Brees and company... that migh be our only advantage all night.  yell early and keep yelling,  no lead will be big enough until the clock reads 0:00 IMO.

@"JimmyinSD" said: this game is going to be a bitch... Brees against our depleted defense with Ingram and Kamara.. its going to be damn tough to hold that O in check at all unless we get healthy quickly on D.

our offense could struggle as well with the aints being one of those Ds that just seems to make the big play when needed,  similar to ours before they got shit figured out last year.  I am not comfortable at all with this coming match up.  

Our fans better be ready to scream all night and make shit tough for Brees and company... that migh be our only advantage all night.  yell early and keep yelling,  no lead will be big enough until the clock reads 0:00 IMO.

Saints have had a ridiculously easy schedule so far, too. Bucs, Browns, Falcons, Giants, Redskins, Ravens. Is there a playoff team among them? Lost to the Bucs, beat the Browns only because Zane Gonzalez missed 2 extra points and 2 field goals. Beat the Ravens last week because of another missed PAT. 

I'd like our chances a lot more if we were healthy (I'm not expecting Rhodes or Barr, but getting Reiff back would be huge)--Brees is going to be very aggressive against our banged up secondary, but I still think we pull this one out in a shootout: Vikings 38 - 34. 

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said: this game is going to be a bitch... Brees against our depleted defense with Ingram and Kamara.. its going to be damn tough to hold that O in check at all unless we get healthy quickly on D.

our offense could struggle as well with the aints being one of those Ds that just seems to make the big play when needed,  similar to ours before they got shit figured out last year.  I am not comfortable at all with this coming match up.  

Our fans better be ready to scream all night and make shit tough for Brees and company... that migh be our only advantage all night.  yell early and keep yelling,  no lead will be big enough until the clock reads 0:00 IMO.

I think you might be thinking of last year's Saints team? The Saints will be a tough game, of course it will be, and they will never be out of it. But this is not the team we saw in the playoffs last year. At least not right now they're not. I'm not sure we are either, but we're getting there.

Saints have had a ridiculously easy schedule so far, too. Bucs, Browns, Falcons, Giants, Redskins, Ravens. Is there a playoff team among them? Lost to the Bucs, beat the Browns only because Zane Gonzalez missed 2 extra points and 2 field goals. Beat the Ravens last week because of another missed PAT. 

I'd like our chances a lot more if we were healthy (I'm not expecting Rhodes or Barr, but getting Reiff back would be huge)--Brees is going to be very aggressive against our banged up secondary, but I still think we pull this one out in a shootout: Vikings 38 - 34. 

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said: this game is going to be a bitch... Brees against our depleted defense with Ingram and Kamara.. its going to be damn tough to hold that O in check at all unless we get healthy quickly on D.

our offense could struggle as well with the aints being one of those Ds that just seems to make the big play when needed,  similar to ours before they got shit figured out last year.  I am not comfortable at all with this coming match up.  

Our fans better be ready to scream all night and make shit tough for Brees and company... that migh be our only advantage all night.  yell early and keep yelling,  no lead will be big enough until the clock reads 0:00 IMO.

I think you might be thinking of last year's Saints team? The Saints will be a tough game, of course it will be, and they will never be out of it. But this is not the team we saw in the playoffs last year. At least not right now they're not. I'm not sure we are either, but we're getting there.

Saints have had a ridiculously easy schedule so far, too. Bucs, Browns, Falcons, Giants, Redskins, Ravens. Is there a playoff team among them? Lost to the Bucs, beat the Browns only because Zane Gonzalez missed 2 extra points and 2 field goals. Beat the Ravens last week because of another missed PAT. 

I'd like our chances a lot more if we were healthy (I'm not expecting Rhodes or Barr, but getting Reiff back would be huge)--Brees is going to be very aggressive against our banged up secondary, but I still think we pull this one out in a shootout: Vikings 38 - 34. 

Im a D guy,  I dont like shootouts because they are too unpredicatble.  I cant get comfortable with a game like this (and I expect a score similar to what you are predicting)  to many years since our O was capable of hanging 35 on any team they faced.  Cousins and company look the part at times,  but they also still have stretches where they look completely lost out there and that is what concerns me.  if we go down early in this game I dont know that our D can muster and clamp the aints down enough to let our O claw its way back in.... and then there the refs.

@"silverjoel" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said: this game is going to be a bitch... Brees against our depleted defense with Ingram and Kamara.. its going to be damn tough to hold that O in check at all unless we get healthy quickly on D.

our offense could struggle as well with the aints being one of those Ds that just seems to make the big play when needed,  similar to ours before they got shit figured out last year.  I am not comfortable at all with this coming match up.  

Our fans better be ready to scream all night and make shit tough for Brees and company... that migh be our only advantage all night.  yell early and keep yelling,  no lead will be big enough until the clock reads 0:00 IMO.

I think you might be thinking of last year's Saints team? The Saints will be a tough game, of course it will be, and they will never be out of it. But this is not the team we saw in the playoffs last year. At least not right now they're not. I'm not sure we are either, but we're getting there.

Saints have had a ridiculously easy schedule so far, too. Bucs, Browns, Falcons, Giants, Redskins, Ravens. Is there a playoff team among them? Lost to the Bucs, beat the Browns only because Zane Gonzalez missed 2 extra points and 2 field goals. Beat the Ravens last week because of another missed PAT. 

I'd like our chances a lot more if we were healthy (I'm not expecting Rhodes or Barr, but getting Reiff back would be huge)--Brees is going to be very aggressive against our banged up secondary, but I still think we pull this one out in a shootout: Vikings 38 - 34. 

Im a D guy,  I dont like shootouts because they are too unpredicatble.  I cant get comfortable with a game like this (and I expect a score similar to what you are predicting)  to many years since our O was capable of hanging 35 on any team they faced.  Cousins and company look the part at times,  but they also still have stretches where they look completely lost out there and that is what concerns me.  if we go down early in this game I dont know that our D can muster and clamp the aints down enough to let our O claw its way back in.... and then there the refs.

I agree with most of this.  However, the "Vikings get screwed by the refs" narrative really needs to stop.  The Vikings are the 14th least penalized team with 44 (12 pre-snap penalties) and have the 11th least amount of penalty yards.  That's with 10 teams only playing 6 games (bye week).  And the Vikings were gifted a tie due to a horrible roughing the passer call that wouldn't be called anymore.

Saints are 7th least penalized with 38 (only 6 pre-snap penalties, non pre-snap penalties are the same as the Vikings) and 12 most in penalty yards.

Also, the Packers (only playing 6 games) are the 8th most penalized team and the 3rd most penalty yards.  Oh, and both the Vikings and Packers have 8 offensive holding calls...

https://www.footballdb.com/stats/penalties.html?sort=numyds

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"silverjoel" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said: this game is going to be a bitch... Brees against our depleted defense with Ingram and Kamara.. its going to be damn tough to hold that O in check at all unless we get healthy quickly on D.

our offense could struggle as well with the aints being one of those Ds that just seems to make the big play when needed,  similar to ours before they got shit figured out last year.  I am not comfortable at all with this coming match up.  

Our fans better be ready to scream all night and make shit tough for Brees and company... that migh be our only advantage all night.  yell early and keep yelling,  no lead will be big enough until the clock reads 0:00 IMO.

I think you might be thinking of last year's Saints team? The Saints will be a tough game, of course it will be, and they will never be out of it. But this is not the team we saw in the playoffs last year. At least not right now they're not. I'm not sure we are either, but we're getting there.

Saints have had a ridiculously easy schedule so far, too. Bucs, Browns, Falcons, Giants, Redskins, Ravens. Is there a playoff team among them? Lost to the Bucs, beat the Browns only because Zane Gonzalez missed 2 extra points and 2 field goals. Beat the Ravens last week because of another missed PAT. 

I'd like our chances a lot more if we were healthy (I'm not expecting Rhodes or Barr, but getting Reiff back would be huge)--Brees is going to be very aggressive against our banged up secondary, but I still think we pull this one out in a shootout: Vikings 38 - 34. 

Im a D guy,  I dont like shootouts because they are too unpredicatble.  I cant get comfortable with a game like this (and I expect a score similar to what you are predicting)  to many years since our O was capable of hanging 35 on any team they faced.  Cousins and company look the part at times,  but they also still have stretches where they look completely lost out there and that is what concerns me.  if we go down early in this game I dont know that our D can muster and clamp the aints down enough to let our O claw its way back in.... and then there the refs.

I agree with most of this.  However, the "Vikings get screwed by the refs" narrative really needs to stop.  The Vikings are the 14th least penalized team with 44 (12 pre-snap penalties) and have the 11th least amount of penalty yards.  That's with 10 teams only playing 6 games (bye week).  And the Vikings were gifted a tie due to a horrible roughing the passer call that wouldn't be called anymore.

Saints are 7th least penalized with 38 (only 6 pre-snap penalties, non pre-snap penalties are the same as the Vikings) and 12 most in penalty yards.

Also, the Packers (only playing 6 games) are the 8th most penalized team and the 3rd most penalty yards.  Oh, and both the Vikings and Packers have 8 offensive holding calls...

https://www.footballdb.com/stats/penalties.html?sort=numyds

i wasnt making a narrative,  I am simply saying that in  a close, high scoring, wide open style of a game that those "judgement" calls ( pass interference, holding etc) that can go either way are a lot more apt to become an issue.