We might have a barn-burner when the New Orleans Saints kick off against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, in the second leg of the NFL’s wild-card games. According to updated odds from BetMGM, the Saints are still favored to beat the Vikings by 7.5 points — but the over/under has climbed up to 49.5, the highest projected total of the week. It suggests a finish in the neighborhood of Saints 29, Vikings 21.
The over/under totals set for the three other wild-card round games range from a week-low between the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans (43.5, with the Texans favored by 2.5) to a middling game with the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots (44.5, Patriots by 4.5), and a next-best finale when the Seattle Seahawks visit the Philadelphia Eagles (45.5, Seahawks narrowly favored by 1.5). Expectations are that the Saints and Vikings will produce some fireworks in an otherwise quiet weekend.
And that’s probably due to the health of players returning from injury on both sides. Minnesota is welcoming starting running back Dalvin Cook and his backup, rookie Alexander Mattison, into the lineup. They’ll be playing with all-star wide receiver Adam Thielen who has dealt with his own injury issues this season; altogether, they should give a powerful shot in the arm to the Kirk Cousins-led Vikings offense.
As for the Saints: their injury report listed starting safeties Vonn Bell and Marcus Williams as having put in a full practice on Friday, which suggests they’ll each take the field on Sunday. They’ve been good for a turnover almost every week they’ve played (Bell lead the team with 5 fumble recoveries in the regular season, while Williams did the same with 4 interceptions), with Bell chipping in the Saints’ first defensive touchdown of the year in his scoop-and-score fumble return against the Seahawks back in Week 3. They can both inject some real play-making ability at the perfect time for New Orleans.
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