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Colts at Vikings: Sunday Night Football Betting Odds & Predictions for Week 9

Colts at Vikings: Sunday Night Football Betting Odds & Predictions for Week 9

Written by on November 1, 2024

NFL News and Betting Previews| Xbet.ag

NFL Game Odds: Colts at Vikings SNF | Two weeks ago, the Minnesota Vikings had the Detroit Lions right where they wanted them – on their home field.

A scoop-and-score gave the Vikings a late lead and a shot at a 6-0 start to the season.

However, the Minnesota defense, which had given up touchdowns on four straight Detroit drives, could not keep the Lions from moving into field-goal range and taking a last-second win.

 

NFL Game Odds: Colts at Vikings SNF in Week 9 | NFL 2024/25 Season

 

The L.A. Rams followed up on the Lions’ blueprint four days later, beating the Vikings at SoFi Stadium, 30-20, fueled by the presence of both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua at receiver.

After a ten-day break, the Vikings return to prime time to face the Colts, both teams seeking answers. Second-year QB Anthony Richardson caused a stir by resting in the red zone due to exhaustion in a close loss to the Texans.

In response, the Colts benched Richardson for veteran Joe Flacco, who led Cleveland to the playoffs last year.

The Colts are still 4-3 and can get things together for a shot at a postseason berth, even though they have already been swept by Houston, making an AFC South crown unlikely.

Can the Vikings solve the defensive problems that have suddenly arisen the last two weeks? Can the Colts move the ball more consistently with Flacco at the helm? Check out our sports betting prediction on this Sunday night matchup.

 

How to Watch Colts at Vikings SNF

When: Sunday, November 3, 2024, 8:20 pm ET
Where: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
TV: NBC
Radio: Westwood One
Live Stream: Peacock
Opening NFL Game Odds Subject to Change: Minnesota -5.5 (O/U 46.5)

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Indianapolis Colts SNF Line +191

Jonathan Taylor

Taylor continues to fly under the radar while consistently producing on offense. He ran for 105 yards in Sunday’s loss to Houston. However, the Colts have a hard time moving the ball as an integrated unit. That was extremely clear late in regulation after Dayo Odeyingbo recovered a Joe Mixon fumble for the Colts and seemed to take it back for a score. He was ruled down by contact, though, leaving the Colts on their own 16.

They couldn’t move the ball, and Danielle Hunter sacked Richardson to force a punt. Hunter strip-sacked Richardson on the last play of the game as the Colts were trying for a Hail Mary. Richardson was just 10 of 32 on the day, with a touchdown. He took five sacks and eight other hits, but the Colts were able to stay close anyway, which is a testament to their defense and running game. With Flacco at the helm, the ball security will improve, as will the decision-making in the pocket.

What to look at?

The Colts should see their passing efficiency improve with the more experienced Flacco running the offense. Richardson has a cannon of an arm, but everything from passing accuracy to decision-making while moving in the pocket to having to deal with called quarterback runs has kept him from progressing to this point. His running style exposes him to injuries, and he hasn’t shown the patience to settle in the pocket and complete passes down the field on a consistent basis.

Given his arm strength, it’s hard to argue that the Colts should walk away from Richardson, but they have the defense and the running game to win now – just like they did last week, when they almost made the playoffs with perennial backup quarterback Gardner Minshew running the offense. Flacco is an improvement over both Minshew and Richardson, at least for the short term. When Flacco has been at quarterback this season, the Colts have gone 20 of 42 on third-down conversions (47.6%), a rate that would rank third in the NFL. With Richardson, the Colts have gone 18 of 59 (30.5%), a rate that would rank 31st.

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Minnesota Vikings SNF Line -242

Sam Darnold

The Vikings got off to a 5-0 start thanks to a consistent start from quarterback Sam Darnold, but also thanks to a stingy defense. That defense got exposed by the Detroit Lions and again by Matthew Stafford, who threw four touchdown passes for the Rams last Thursday. Darnold threw for 240 yards against the Rams despite the team losing left tackle Christian Darrisaw to a knee injury. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson caught eight balls for 115 yards, and Trent Sherfield and Josh Oliver caught first-period touchdown passes as the game started with four straight touchdown drives.

After that, though, the Vikings would only score two more field goals, watching a 17-14 lead evaporate and turn into a loss. Darnold had a chance on a late drive with the team down, 28-20, but he was sacked in the end zone for a safety on a play that saw him get dragged down by the face mask – but also saw two officials standing within ten feet completely missing the infraction.

What to look at?

If you like the Vikings, then you are aware of their strong starts – they have won the first quarter in seven straight games. They have also found the end zone first in each of those seven games. Tailback Aaron Jones has been a consistently productive addition to the running game.

The issue is the defense, which will have its hands full of Jonathan Taylor healthy and pounding the ball on the ground and a confident Joe Flacco running the offense. The Vikings have the talent and the system to win this game; they just need the confidence to play a full game.

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Colts at Vikings SNF Final Score and Prediction in Week 9

Minnesota Injuries

For the Vikings, tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) has returned to full participation in practice and is expected to play Sunday night. Safety Theo Jackson (hand) and cornerback Akayleb Evans (hip) have also returned to participate fully and should play. Defensive lineman Taki Taimani (ankle) and offensive tackle David Quessenberry (knee) have been limited in practice and remain questionable. Linebacker Blake Cashman (toe) has been held out of practice and is doubtful for Sunday.

Indianapolis Injuries

For the Colts, offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann remains in the concussion protocol and is not expected to play Sunday. Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr (back), center Ryan Kelly (calf), and wide receiver Josh Downs (toe) have all been held out of practice and are doubtful for Sunday. Anthony Richardson (wrist) was a full participant in practice and will back up Flacco. Offensive tackle Braden Smith (knee) did not practice and is also doubtful for the Vikings game.

If you like the Colts, you see their combination of an improved passing game and a solid running game (with a healthy Taylor) frustrating the Vikings’ defense and finding the same opportunities that the Lions and Rams found the last two weeks. The Colts don’t have quite the same talent in the receiving room that the Lions and Rams do, but the Vikings have problems to solve in stopping the run. This line has dropped from seven points to five since the open, but I think people may be overlooking the solid play that the Vikings showed in their first five contests.

I predict a final score of Minnesota 30, Indianapolis 20.

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