Every season, we have come to expect that a dark horse team or two will emerge as a potential Super Bowl candidate. As we approach the midway point of the season, there are a few teams that fall into that category, with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants at the top of that heap. I think it’s fair to suggest that the Minnesota Vikings should be in that category, too. Most of us had the Packers penciled in as the favorites to win the NFC North, but Rodgers and company have struggled to this point, allowing the Vikings to take control of the division. That’s certainly great, but we also all know that the standings at the midway point of the season are not always indicative of how things will end up at the end of the regular season. The Viking will look to continue rolling this weekend at home to the Cardinals. Minnesota is a 3 ½ point home favorite, with the point total set at 49.

When: Sunday, Oct 30 at 1 PM EST
Where: US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
TV: FOX

Why bet on the Arizona Cardinals

It is not ideal to be sitting a game below .500 at this stage of the season, but if there is a positive to be taken from it, it’s that things are ridiculously tight in the NFC West, where the division leader is sitting at 4-3. Still, the Cardinals need to take care of their end of the business instead of sitting back and hoping that the teams above them will falter coming down the stretch. They did get a much-needed win over the Saints last weekend, winning 43-24 in what was arguably their best showing of the season. They are going to need more of the same if they are to win on the road in Minnesota. This is a team that they have not fared well against, going just 4-12 SU in their last 6 meetings. They are also 0-4-2 ATS in their last 6 meetings with the Vikings. Overall, the UNDER has hit in 5 of their last 6 road games.

Why bet on the Minnesota Vikings

We said that the Vikings are a bit of a dark horse this season, but in fairness, the feeling was that if any team was going to seriously challenge the Packers in the North this season, it was always going to be Minnesota. Still, a 5-1 start is perhaps better than most people expected, with the Vikings consistently finding a way to get the job done in close games. They come into this weekend having won 4 in a row and knowing that they have won each of their last 10 home meetings with the Arizona Cardinals, which is more than convincing enough to take the Vikings to win this weekend. If there is a knock on this team, at least from a betting standpoint, it’s that they’ve only covered once in the last 5. The OVER has hit in 6 of their last 7 home games.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

It seems a bit risky to take the Vikings to cover, especially since they have had a tough time doing that this season. That said, I think the spread is small enough to be worth taking a shot on, but if you want to play it safe, I would take Minnesota SU.

Arizona Cardinals 20 Minnesota Vikings 30