Vikings Playoff Odds Higher Than You Might Think

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Just a few days ago, Minnesota Vikings fans were wondering out loud about the likelihood Mike Zimmer would be fired before the calendar turned from 2021 to 2022. But that was before Zim transformed himself into an offensive minded head coach and allowed Kirk Cousins & Co to lead his team to a huge victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

So here we are, now following a 4-5 football team and discussing the likelihood we’re watching an NFC playoff tournament laced with purple come January. And guess what? The odds of that happening might be better than you think. After week 10, all of the most trusted NFL Playoff projection models give the Vikings a 40% or better chance of playing football games when the regular season ends.

Minnesota Vikings Playoff Odds (as of 11/16)

Remember, the NFL has 14 playoff spots, up from the 12 we had become so accustomed to. That means an extra wildcard team for each conference. One more team for each side may not appear significant but it’s one of the main reasons why Football Outsiders gives the Minnesota Vikings a coinflip chance at postseason play.

If only one WC team was still the NFL standard, the Vikings would have to catch the (8-2) Packers to win the North OR the (7-3) Rams, who hold the 1st wildcard spot in the NFC. Instead, the Vikings trail only the (5-4) New Orleans Saints and (5-5) Carolina Panthers for the 7th and final playoff position.

Coming Up

The Vikings could really up the ante and push their playoff odds through the roof if they can find a way to beat Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers this Sunday at US Bank Stadium. Sportsbooks see it as a plausible ask, pinning the purple as just +2.5 underdogs against the NFC leaders.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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