Betting lines and predictions for Patriots in week 12
The New England Patriots have a quick turnaround after their week 11 win against the New York Jets as they face the Minnesota Vikings on Thanksgiving. The Vikings are an interesting opponent. Their 8-2 record is intimidating, but they aren’t particularly elite on either side of the ball and they have a rookie head coach.
Perhaps they aren’t quite as good as their record indicates. However, they have won 80% of their games and are a good team nonetheless. It’s a Thanksgiving day matchup for the Patriots and one that feels like another must-win. Right now, New England looks entrenched at third in the AFC East. The Dolphins and Bills are too good for me to confidently say that they will falter.
However, the Patriots do sit in a playoff spot and are in a solid position overall. What does Las Vegas have to say about the Patriots odds and other betting lines for the game in just two days?
What does Las Vegas think about the Patriots’ chances?
Right now, according to FanDuel, New England is 2.5 point underdogs against the Vikings. The game is being played in Minnesota, so Vegas seems to be kind to the away team and perhaps is not fully buying into the Vikings record.
The over/under point total is set at 42.5. If you were someone who wanted to maximize your winnings in this game, betting on the Patriots to cover the spread or win outright is the best move. The -110 line for the over/under point total is the same, so more winnings are not present for betting the over or the under.
I’m not sure I feel comfortable putting money on this game in anyway. I think it’s going to be a tough find until the end, and I cannot get over the obvious coaching and defensive advantage that New England has.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Predicting for Thanksgiving day
This game might come down to which team makes a bigger defensive play. The Vikings are an average team when it comes to getting to the quarterback, but they have taken the ball away one more time than the Patriots this year, which ranks 4th in the NFL.
On the flip side, the Vikings have only given the ball away 11 times this year, while the Patriots have given it away 17 times this year, good for 4th most in the NFL. At the end of the day, I trust the Vikings’ offense to score points when they need to and think that Minnesota barely scratches out a win.