Falcons vs. Vikings Prediction, Odds, Spread, Injuries, Trends for NFL Week 14

Iain MacMillan | 14 Hours Ago

The Falcons are set as underdogs in Kirk Cousins' return to Minnesota. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Kirk Cousins heads back to Minnesota this season to take on his former team in an NFC battle between the Falcons and Vikings.

It's been a roller coaster season for Cousins and Atlanta. After a slow start, the Falcons got hot in the middle of the season behind a few impressive games by Cousins, but that has flipped now and the Falcons come into this game on a cold streak, largely due to poor play by the former Vikings quarterback.

Meanwhile, Minnesota has continued to play fantastic football all season and are still alive to not only win the NFC North, but the No. 1 seed in the conference is still a possibility and a win on Sunday will be another step toward that direction.

Falcons vs. Vikings Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

• Falcons +5 (-112)
• Vikings -5 (-108)

Moneyline

• Falcons +185
• Vikings -225

Total

• OVER 45.5 (-112)
• UNDER 45.5 (-108)

Falcons vs. Vikings How to Watch

• Date: Sunday, December 8
• Game Time: 1:00 pm et
• Venue: U.S. Bank Stadium
• How to Watch: FOX
• Falcons Record: 6-6
• Vikings Record: 10-2

Falcons vs. Vikings Betting Trends

• The UNDER is 5-1 in the Falcons' last six games
• Vikings are 5-1 ATS in their last six games
• Falcons are 5-15 straight up in their last 20 road games
• Falcons are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games vs. NFC North opponents
• The UNDER is 4-1 in the Vikings' last five games
• The UNDER is 5-1 in the Vikings' last six home games
• Vikings are 0-6-2 ATS in their last eight games played in December

Falcons vs. Vikings Injury Reports

Falcons Injury Report

• Jase McClellan, RB - Questionable
• Mike Hughes, CB - Questionable
• DeMarcco Hellams, S - IR-R
• Ta'Quon Graham, DT - IR
• James Smith-Williams, DE - IR

Vikings Injury Report

• Andrew DePaola, LS - IR-R
• Will Reichard, K - IR-R
• Jay Ward, S - Questionable
• Josh Oliver, TE - Questionable
• Stephon Gilmore, CB - Questionable

Falcons vs. Vikings Key Players to Watch

Atlanta Falcons

Kirk Cousins: Kirk Cousins returns to Minnesota for the first time since leaving the Vikings and signing with the Falcons this offseason. He's had an up-and-down season, but a win against his former team would do big things for both the narrative around his performance and the Falcons' chances to make the playoffs.

Minnesota Vikings

Jordan Addison: If Mike Hughes misses a third game for the Falcons, it's going to mean big things for the Vikings receiving core and it could be Jordan Addison who is the main benefactor. He has combined for 15 receptions, 277 yards, and two touchdowns in his last three games.

Falcons vs. Vikings Prediction and Pick

In this week's edition of the "Road to 272 Bets", I broke down why I'm not hesitating to take the Vikings to win and cover in this NFC showdown:

Kirk Cousins heads back to Minnesota with a game against his former team but this is unfortunately a horrific matchup for him. He has been horrific when pressured this season and now he faces a defense that's third in the NFL in pressure percentage.

The Falcons are broken on both sides of the ball and they need to make some tough decisions down the final stretch of the season. Their secondary is banged up, leaving room open against a dominant receiving core, and their offense will be able to do little against one of the best defenses in the league.

The Vikings lead the league in both Rush EPA and Rush Success Rate while allowing just 3.7 yards per carry which means leaning on their run game isn't an option for the Falcons. Instead, they'll have to rely on Kirk to make some magic against his former team which is not something I'm willing to bet on happening.

Pick: Vikings -5 (-108)

---

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

You can check out all of Iain's bets here!