4 reasons why the Vikings will beat the Saints in the playoffs
By Adam Patrick
No one is giving Minnesota a chance
Good luck finding any notable names who cover the NFL for a living that picked the Vikings to defeat the Saints on Sunday. There might be a few, but they seem to be rarer than a Laquon Treadwell touchdown.
Oddsmakers have Minnesota as an eight-point underdog against New Orleans and some feel like that might even be generous. Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer has noticed the massive doubt surrounding his team this week though and he’s hoping that it will result in a lot of people eating their words.
It’s fine to think that the Saints are the better team in Sunday’s matchup. But Minnesota was obviously talented enough to be one of 12 teams to earn a spot in the playoffs this season, so they shouldn’t just be brushed to the side like they’re the postseason version of the Cincinnati Bengals.
New Orleans’ last five games in the playoffs have been decided by an average of 4.2 points, so them winning in blowout fashion actually appears to be something that should come as more of a surprise if it were to happen.
A more probable scenario for Sunday will likely consist of the Vikings and Saints keeping things close for most of the game and the result won’t be known until the last possession of the contest. If this ends up being how things actually turn out, Minnesota’s chances for an upset will be much higher.