Vikings get a rude Super Bowl 61 reality check after Kirk Cousins trade

Well, that was a fast nine weeks, wouldn't you say? And with nine weeks of action in the books, we're obviously now officially through the first half of this 2026 NFL regular season.

The Minnesota Vikings, of course, were the last remaining unbeaten in the league, getting off to a 6-0 start before finally dropping their first game in Week 8 to the rival Detroit Lions. And as the world watched in prime time on Monday night, their losing streak is now two after taking an ugly 23-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

As such, the Vikes currently own the sixth seed in the NFC playoff picture, and if the postseason were to start today, they would wildly square off with none other than J.J. McCarthy and the NFC East-leading New York Giants.

With this being the halfway point of the regular season, we thought it would be a good time to once again take a look at the Super Bowl 61 odds. And naturally, we wanted to see where things stood after Minnesota reacquired Kirk Cousins in an attempt to bolster its floundering offensive attack. But even with the league's top defense, a new-look offense (sort of), and one of the league's top records, the Vikes don't even crack the top 10 overall and only rank seventh among NFC teams.

Minnesota Vikings rank 12th overall and seventh among NFC teams in the latest Super Bowl 61 odds

Here's a quick look at the odds for all 32 teams to win Super Bowl 61, which will take place on Valentine's Day at SoFi Stadium.

As you can see, at +2200, the Vikings rank 12th overall and, as mentioned, only seventh among NFC teams, trailing in the latter to the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, and Green Bay Packers.

Oddly enough, however, when it comes to simply representing the conference in the Big Game, Minnesota sits in a tie with Green Bay for fifth at +950, with the defending champion Seahawks in seventh at +960. So, take that for what you will.

Now, the last time we looked at the odds, at the one-third point of the season and when they were still undefeated, the Vikes sat at +1800, which ranked in a tie for ninth overall and solo fifth in the NFC. Naturally, a couple of losses knocked them down a bit, but we genuinely thought Cousins coming back might move the needle. But oddsmakers don't seem to think the four-time Pro Bowler will make the difference Minnesota needs to be a genuine contender.

That said, if the Vikings can pick up a second victory over the Green Bay Packers this Sunday and can then take down the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11, one has to assume these odds will change dramatically.

All betting odds courtesy of DraftKings. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. The content in this article should not be considered betting advice. Gambling involves risk, and one should only gamble with funds that one can comfortably afford to lose. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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