Indianapolis Colts vs. Minnesota Vikings (12/17 @ 1:00 PM EST.)
Spread: Minnesota (-5)
Total: Over 46.5
Overview and Betting Info
The 4-8-1 Indianapolis Colts travel take on the 10-3 Minnesota Vikings as part of a tripleheader of NFL football on Saturday, December 17.
The Colts are coming off their bye week. Prior to that, they lost four out of their last five games.
The Vikings lost a tough game to an inspired Detroit Lions team in Week 14. The final score was 34-23. They have lost two out of their last five games.
Indianapolis Colts
Despite having Jonathan Taylor, the 2021 NFL Rushing Champion, the Colts cannot get their offense going to put points on the board. They average 16.1 points scored per game but allow an average of 22.9 per game.
Matt Ryan will continue to be the team’s QB1. He faces a Vikings defense that is suspect so if the Colts offense is going to break out and have a good game, this could be the one.
In the Week 15 NFL Power Rankings, the Colts are 31st overall.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings are averaging the same number of points scored as allowed per game. This speaks to the defensive issues that can be exploited and were done so by the Detroit Lions last week. They score 24.0 per game on average and allow 24.1.
The offense has been all about Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson, but Dalvin Cook needs to be more involved in the latter stages of the season. The Vikings average just 95 rushing yards per game.
The Vikings are ranked 7th in the NFL Week 15 Power Rankings, down one spot from Week 14. They are going the wrong way at a critical time in the season. Their strong start and weaker competition in the NFC North have helped them weather the ups-and-downs of a long season.
Free Pick: Minnesota (-5)
The Vikings have played very well at home in 2022, going 6-1 on the season. Despite their issues, they are too good of a team to drop this game to a beleaguered Colts team especially after a disappointing loss to Detroit in Week 14. The Vikings will both regain their winning ways and will cover the spread making the Minnesota (-5) the recommended option.
