New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings NFL Betting Spread Lines & Preview

NFL betting spread players tuning in for this weekend’s action will be treated to a great show on behalf of the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints. The Saints and Vikings will face each other this Sunday, in the NFC’s Divisional Round. Both teams had tremendous success during the regular season and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. Let’s take a look at what kind of outing the NFL teaser odds are predicting.

NFC Divisional Round – Saints vs. Vikings – Sunday, January 14^th

• Start Time: 4:40 pm ET
• Venue: US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• TV Broadcast: Fox
• Online Stream: Fox Sports Go, NFL Game Pass
• NFL Betting Spread Lines:
  • New Orleans Saints: +5 (-115) 46 ½ (-110)     +192
  • Minnesota Vikings: -5 (-105) 46 ½ (-110)     -230

Surprisingly, NFL bookmakers feel pretty confident about the Vikings’ chances this Sunday. Granted, Minnesota turned in an eye-raising 13-3 record to win the NFC North this season. But it should be mentioned that the Vikings were taking advantage of an Aaron Rodgers-less division, and had their biggest challenge been healthy; who knows what could’ve happened? But it’s too late for what-ifs in the divisional race. Rather, it’s time to look at how these two matchup against each other. Which side has the statistical advantage this Sunday?

NFL Betting Spread: By the Numbers

Looking over both team’s numbers, it might be hard to give one the upper hand over the other. That said, the Vikings might be the better team all-around. Minnesota finished this year’s season with the NFL’s No. 1 defense in points allowed, No. 1 overall defense, No. 2 defense against the pass and the 2^nd best defense against the run as well. Luckily for New Orleans, they’re pretty good on offense this season.

Specifically, the Saints finished the year with the NFL’s 4^th best scoring offense, 2^nd best total offense, 2^nd best passing attack and the 5^th best offense on the ground. With those figures in mind, it’s clear that this postseason battle is not you want to miss. As aforementioned, it’s hard to give one team the edge over another. The only thing that’s clear is that this is one heck of a matchup. That said, how does the Saints’ defense match up against the Vike’s consistent offense?

The Saints were alright on defense this season. New Orleans was 10^th in points allowed, 17^th in total defense, 15^th against the pass and 16^th against the run. That’s not exactly what you’d call a championship defense, but it was good enough to get them this far. But will it be enough to deter the Vikings’ offense this Sunday?

Luckily for New Orleans, the Vikings aren’t as dominant on offense. The Vikings finished 10^th in scoring, 11^th in total offense, 11^th in passing and 7^th on the ground. The key to the Saints success this Sunday will lie in stopping Minnesota’s running game.

Straight Bets to Make

So with all that said, which way should bettors bet? Considering how close both teams matchup, sportsbook players should take a shot at the upset line on the Saints.