Arizona Cardinals vs Minnesota Vikings Matchup

In this week 13 NFL regular season preview between Cardinals and Vikings, see who like to win the game and cover the spread.

On the money line, the Vikings are -196 as they host the Cardinals at 1:00 ET on Sunday, December 1st at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The Vikings are favored by -3.5 points, and the over/under line is at 45.5 points. This week 13 NFC matchup is being televised on FOX.

Cardinals vs. Vikings Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NFL
Teams: Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings
Where: Minneapolis at U.S. Bank Stadium
Date: Sunday, December 1st
Betting Odds MIN -3.5, ARI +163 | MIN -196 O/U 45.5

Cardinals Preview:

After three straight wins, the Cardinals couldn’t keep their streak going in week 12, falling 16-6 to the Seahawks. Arizona entered the game as 1-point favorites but couldn’t get it done on the road, dropping their record to 6-5. They now sit 2nd in the NFC West with a 2-1 division record.

Our projections give the Cardinals a 53.5% chance of making the playoffs and a 49.4% chance of winning the division. Heading into week 13, they rank 13th in our NFL power rankings. Arizona has an average scoring margin of +0.7 points per game and is 7-4 against the spread. They are 5-2 ATS as underdogs but just 1-2 as favorites.

Cardinals Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 13, the Cardinals rank 14th in our offensive power rankings. They are 16th in the NFL in points per game, averaging 22.2, and 15th in yards per game with 342. Arizona has leaned on the run game, ranking 16th in rushing attempts and 6th in rushing yards per game, with 140.3. They are 30th in passing attempts and 23rd in passing yards, averaging 201.7 per game. The Cardinals have been strong on 3rd down, converting 41.4% of their attempts, which ranks 11th in the league.

In week 12, Kyler Murray threw for 285 yards, completing 24 of 37 passes, but had one interception and was sacked 5 times. Trey McBride led the team with 12 catches for 133 yards, while Trey Benson had just 18 rushing yards on 4 carries. Arizona struggled on 3rd down, converting only 3 of 12 attempts, and failed to score in the red zone, going 0 for 2.

Cardinals Team Defense

In their 16-6 loss to the Seahawks, the Cardinals' defense allowed 220 passing yards and 65 rushing yards on just 25 attempts. They gave up one passing touchdown and allowed Seattle to convert on 50% of their third down attempts. Despite the tough game, Arizona's defense did come up with five sacks and one interception.

Arizona's defense also forced 71% of Seattle's completions, and the Cardinals won the tackles for loss battle with a +3 differential.

Vikings Preview:

With a 9-2 record, the Vikings sit 8th in our power rankings and have a 98.7% chance of making the playoffs. They’ve won four straight games, including a 30-27 win over the Bears in week 12. Before that, they beat the Titans (23-13) and Colts (21-13) in weeks 11 and 10, respectively, and snapped a two-game losing streak.

Minnesota is 7-3-1 against the spread this season, with a +7 scoring margin. They are 3-0 ATS as underdogs and 4-3-1 as favorites. Their O/U record is 4-7, with their games averaging 42.8 points compared to an average line of 44.3.

Vikings Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 13, the Vikings rank 13th in our offensive power rankings. They are 9th in the NFL in points per game, averaging 24.9, and 10th in passing yards per game with 234, despite ranking 24th in passing attempts. Minnesota also ranks 15th in rushing yards per game, averaging 117.1 on 29.1 attempts per game. They lead the NFL in first-quarter scoring and rank 12th in 3rd-down conversion percentage.

Sam Darnold threw for 330 yards and 2 touchdowns in week 12, completing 22 of 34 passes. Aaron Jones had 106 rushing yards on 22 carries, while Jordan Addison led the team with 8 catches for 162 yards. Minnesota scored 3 points in the 4th quarter and added 3 more in overtime against the Bears.

Vikings Team Defense

In their 30-27 overtime win over the Bears, the Vikings' defense gave up 320 passing yards and 398 total yards. The Bears had 22 rushing attempts for 78 yards. Minnesota allowed 32 completions and two passing touchdowns, with Chicago converting on 35.3% of their third down attempts.

Minnesota's defense also came up with three sacks and won the tackles for loss battle with a +3 differential.

Cardinals vs Vikings Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past ten road matchups, Arizona has an ATS record of 6-4 while averaging 19 per game. The team went 4-6 overall in these games.
Across their ten previous home games, Minnesota has an ATS mark of 4-3-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 6-4 while averaging 21 points per game.
As the betting underdog, the Cardinals have an ATS mark of just 7-3 in their last ten games. Arizona posted a straight up mark of 5-5 in these matchups.
In their last five contests as the favorite, Minnesota has a poor record vs the spread going 2-2-1. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 4-1.