The Money is Pouring in on Vikings Over Titans This Sunday…

By    |  
Updated:
Photo: Reuters

So it turns out, there are still Minnesota Vikings believers walking among us. What are the odds (pun intended)? First, Tony Dungy picked the Vikings as the most likely 0-2 team, to pull their season together. Now, with the Vikings ~(+2.5|+125) home underdogs this weekend vs the Tennessee Titans, lost gambling souls around the country are jumping all over the purple and gold, according to oddschecker.com.

Minnesota Vikings may have started the season with back-to-back losses, but sports bettors are wagering that their Week 3 matchup against Tennessee Titans is when they will turn things around.

Across all 16 games this week, no matchup is more lop-sided in terms of the betting breakdown; OddsChecker data shows that 81% of bets placed on the moneyline market have gone in favor of the Vikings, compared to just 19% for the Titans.

This is despite the fact that the Vikings are actually underdogs, with their odds of +120 indicative of a 45.5% chance of winning.

Oddschecker.com – Pete Watt

I was able to get updated numbers from Pete Watt, who wrote the Vikings/Titans blog for Oddschecker. As of this morning, the scales were still heavily tipped in Minnesota’s favor. The moneyline wager % is now 79/21 in favor of the Vikings, compared to 81/19 earlier this week (when the excerpt above was written). In other words, the movement has been minimal.

Am I watching the same team as everyone else?

This shocked me because the Minnesota Vikings have been absolutely terrible in the first two weeks of the 2020 season. Not only that, but they are playing completely undermanned on defense in week 3. This injury report doesn’t list Anthony Barr, who was placed on the IR at the beginning of this week.

The Vikings’ defense has been beaten and worn down for two straight weeks. Now, Derrick Henry, who won a rushing title last season by wearing defenses down, is coming to town.

The offense is rather healthy, but hasn’t shown any ability to help their ailing defense, even the slightest. Am I watching a different team than what others around the country are watching?

Trap Game?

This does fit the “trap game” mold but I don’t know if a trap game warrants 80% of moneyline wagers… I’ve seen some Vikings fans call this game out as “the classic upset win that gets everyone back on board”. I can’t disagree with that, either.

I understand those sentiments… but then I go back to the game film from the first two weeks and I’m slapped in the face by reality once again. The Vikings are terrible right now. Any hope that they will change, is just that… “hope”. There’s no factual or statistical evidence behind anything.

But… I will let Oddschecker’s, Pete Watt, speak for those in the betting world, who are clearly less cynical that I am on my hometown team.

“The Vikings have lost to two good teams as opposed to folding against weak opposition, so it’s understandable that bettors have retained their faith in Minnesota.”

“However, they do need to get a win under their belt and fast, as their odds of winning the Super Bowl have already slipped to +10000, demonstrative of just a 1% implied chance.”

Pete Watt – Oddschecker

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Mentioned in this article:

More About: