3 bold Minnesota Vikings predictions for Week 13 vs. the Arizona Cardinals

The Minnesota Vikings are coming back home after a successful three-game road trip and will have three big games at U.S. Bank Stadium beginning with Sunday’s matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.

The Vikings enter Sunday’s game with a 9-2 record but are looking to hold onto the top wild-card spot in the NFC and keep pace in the NFC North which features the 10-2 Detroit Lions and the 9-3 Green Bay Packers. The Cardinals also enter with something to prove at 6-5 in a wide-open NFC West race.

It leaves both teams with something to gain on Sunday and a matchup where several of these bold predictions could come true for the Vikings.

Minnesota Vikings predictions for Week 13 vs. the Arizona Cardinals

1. The Vikings will not turn the ball over

This is something that should be simple for most football teams but has been lost on Minnesota. The Vikings are fourth in the league in giveaways and have lost eight fumbles this season.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has tried everything from catchy slogans to devices on Amazon to try and pound taking care of the football into Minnesota's heads, but it still hasn’t seen results on the field.

But the good news is the Cardinals have been modest when it comes to forcing takeaways, ranking 17th with just 12 takeaways this year. Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold has done a better job making good decisions, and if the Vikings can hang onto the ball, they should be able to manage Arizona’s defense.

2. The Vikings will hold the Cardinals under 200 yards passing

Minnesota’s defense has been fantastic this season, but it’s shown some leaks against the pass the past two games.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis threw for 295 yards and a 99-yard touchdown in the Vikings' win in Week 11, and Chicago Bears rookie signal-caller Caleb Williams threw for a career-high 340 yards and two touchdowns against Minnesota last week.

The good news is the Vikings won both of these games but the even better news is they should get a reprieve against a Cardinals offense that ranks 11th in net yards per attempt.

Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray hasn’t connected with rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. as quickly as some had hoped, and the Cardinals have adapted, ranking sixth in the league with 140.3 rushing yards per game.

But with Minnesota ranking second in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per attempt at 3.6 yards per carry, Arizona may be forced to lean on their mediocre passing game and into the teeth of Brian Flores’s defense.

3. The Vikings will get some much-needed style points

In the last two occasions where the Vikings were 9-2 or better after 11 games, they reached the NFC Championship in 2017 and 2009. But Minnesota doesn’t feel like a contender due to the close nature of their wins.

That should change when the Vikings return to U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday. Home-field advantage has returned to the Twin Cities as Minnesota has won three of their four true home games. But they’ve also won them in dominant fashion with an average margin of victory of 13.6 points.

A lot has been made about the Lions' tendency to smash opponents, and maybe playing a home game in front of their own fans for the first time since November 3 will make the difference for the Vikings.

Either way, this should be a smash spot for Minnesota as they prepare for Kirk Cousins’ homecoming next week.

Prediction: Vikings win 31-20

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