Colts vs Vikings Prediction: Minnesota Seeks to Rebound After Consecutive Losses (Nov 3)

The Indianapolis Colts travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings in a key Week 9 clash with playoff implications for both teams.

Our Colts vs Vikings prediction is for favored Minnesota to win, though they may have trouble covering the spread.

In NFL Week 8, Indianapolis (4-4) had a chance to tie Houston for first place in the AFC South but lost a 23-20 heartbreaker.

After a 5-0 start, Minnesota has lost two straight and fallen to third place in the rough NFC North.

Offshore Odds: Vikings a 5.5 Favorite at Home

Colts Turn to Veteran QB Flacco

The overriding story of Indianapolis’ loss to Houston was not its rollercoaster nature or the fact that a win would have tied them for first place with a good chance of winning the division. Instead, the news cycle has been dominated by young quarterback Anthony Richardson telling reporters after the game that he asked head coach Shane Steichen to remove him after an extended play.

In a world of vanilla quotes in which players say nothing in paragraph form, credit Richardson for his honesty. Still, he put Steichen in a precarious position. By sticking with Richardson, the second-year head coach was confronted with losing support in the locker room or turning to capable veteran Joe Flacco.

He chose the latter.

Flacco will turn 40 in January, but he can run the offense.

For Indianapolis, receivers Josh Downs and Michael Pittman Jr. did not practice. Downs is dealing with a toe issue and Pittman Jr. has a back injury. The Colts are confident both will play against Minnesota.

Vikings Need a Win After Consecutive Defeats

After their victory over the Jets in London, Minnesota was riding high at 5-0. They were in first place in perhaps the NFL’s toughest division and had won games against league heavyweights San Francisco, Houston, and Green Bay.

However, they have lost two straight. The Lions beat them on a last-second field goal. The Rams beat them 30-20 but Minnesota was denied a chance at a last-minute comeback to tie when quarterback Sam Darnold was tackled in his end zone for a safety and the officials horrifically missed a blatant face mask penalty on the QB.

The Vikings should move the ball against the Colts’ weak overall defense. They will also be bolstered by the expected return of Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson who suffered a torn ACL and MCL near the end of the 2023 season.

Colts vs Vikings Prediction: Play It Safe With the Money Line

Minnesota has played reasonably well in its two consecutive losses; Indianapolis is not in disarray as many teams are when they make a dramatic QB switch. Both teams should be judged on their merits rather than the difficult-to-define concept of momentum.

Our Colts vs Vikings prediction is that the Vikings will win. But it will not be by more than 5.5 points.

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• Regular Season (NFL)