ARIZONA CARDINALS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — December 1, 2024

ARIZONA CARDINALS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — December 1, 2024 — Greetings, football fans. Welcome back to our NFL coverage here at Godzilla Wins. One of the games on tap from Sunday’s slate features the Arizona Cardinals (6-5 SU, 7-4 ATS) squaring off against the Minnesota Vikings (9-2 SU, 7-3-1 ATS).

Here is a look at which squad has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Kickoff

When: Sunday, December 1, 2024 @ 1:00 PM ET

Where: U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN

TV: FOX

Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings — In-Season Stats & Betting Trends

The Vikings were perfect through their first five games before suffering back-to-back losses against the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams. Since then, Minnesota has reeled off four straight victories, including a 30-27 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 12. The Vikings appeared to have the game in hand, leading by a 27-16 margin with 1:56 left to play in regulation. However, the Bears scored 11 unanswered points to send the game into overtime. Minnesota’s defense responded, forcing Chicago to go three-and-out on its first possession in the extra frame.

On the ensuing possession, Sam Darnold (22 of 34 for 330 yards and two touchdowns) guided a 10-play drive that was capped off by Parker Romo’s game-winning field goal. Following a three-game road trip, the Vikings hope to kick off their first of three consecutive home games with a win over the Cardinals.

Meanwhile, after a dismal 2-4 start, the Cardinals posted wins in their next four contests. Unfortunately, that streak ended with a 16-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Kyler Murray finished 24 of 37 for 285 yards, with one interception that was returned for a touchdown, and he was sacked five times. Arizona had averaged 29 points per game in their previous three outings but was held to 298 total yards, including 49 on the ground.

Can the Cardinals get back into the win column in another tough environment against an opponent that leads the NFL in interceptions, or will the Vikings roll to their fifth straight victory to remain within a game of the conference-leading Detroit Lions? Now that we have set the stage for this pivotal NFC showdown let’s examine the betting trends for both teams.

Hey, make sure you check out our picks on the GW Daily Picks page.

Cardinals at Vikings Spread Analysis

Having won each of their last four games, the Vikings enter this matchup as a three-point favorite (via OddsShark.com). Let’s see how both teams have fared against the spread.

• The Vikings have posted a 6-3 record against the spread in their last nine games against teams in the NFC West division.
• Minnesota is 0-5-2 ATS in its previous seven December contests.
• The Cardinals have covered the spread four times in their last five outings.
• Arizona has failed to cover the spread in its last five matchups against Minnesota (0-4-1).

Prediction: Minnesota Vikings (-3)

Cardinals at Vikings Over/Under Prediction

The projected scoring total for this matchup opened at 46.5 points, but the line has dipped to 44.5 points (via OddsShark.com). Here are a few trends that suggest why going with the “under” is the intelligent choice.

• The total has gone UNDER seven times in the Vikings’ last 11 games.
• The UNDER total is 4-1 in Minnesota’s previous five home outings.
• In the Cardinals’ last five games, the UNDER total has cashed in four times.
• The UNDER total has hit four times in Arizona’s last six matchups against NFC opponents.

Prediction: UNDER 44.5 points

Cardinals at Vikings Player Prop Bet

Despite being held to two catches for 27 yards against Chicago, Justin Jefferson is the key player to watch for the host team in this contest. He currently has -120 odds of exceeding 83.5 receiving yards and -110 odds of finishing with less than 83.5 yards (via DraftKings). Here’s how his numbers measure up to the projected yards total.

• During the season, Jefferson is averaging 85.4 yards per game.
• In two career matchups against the Cardinals (2021 and 2022), Jefferson has 12 catches totaling 163 yards and one touchdown.
• Jefferson averages 104.8 yards per outing in five home games this season.
• Across his last five starts, Jefferson has averaged 81.6 yards per outing, exceeding the projected yards total for this matchup twice during that stretch.

Prediction: Justin Jefferson OVER 83.5 receiving yards