New England Patriots vs Minnesota Vikings is the final Thanksgiving game of the 2022 NFL season. The Pats are coming to Minnesota looking for their fourth straight win. The Vikings on the other hand, are licking their wounds after an embarrassing 40-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
Nevertheless, the Vikes still have a great record with 8 wins and two losses, which gives them the confidence they could do well in the Week 12 TNF game.
New England Patriots vs Minnesota Vikings Week 12 Odds
Spread
| New England Patriots +2.5 | -110 |
| Minnesota Vikings -2.5 | -110 |
Moneyline
| New England Patriots | +116 |
| Minnesota Vikings | -136 |
Points
| Over 42.5 Points | -110 |
| Under 42.5 Points | -110 |
*Odds taken from FanDuel on Wednesday, November 23.
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Date: Thursday, November 24, 2022
- Time: 8:20 PM ET
- How to Watch: NBC
New England Patriots are So Good in the Defense
The New England Patriots rank second in scoring defense with just 16.9 points conceded per game. When it comes to their recent performances, their average over the last three games is 7.7 PPG. That makes them the only team in the league that’s conceded under 10.0 on average in the last three games.
It really isn’t much of a surprise that Bill Belichick’s team’s doing great in the defense. The Pats always do. What is surprising is that their offense hasn’t been very productive. In fact, with 21.3 PPG, the Pats’ offense ranks 20th in the league.
The explanation behind this is that their starting quarterback Mac Jones has had some problems with injuries this season. He had to miss several games in 2022, most recently the one in Week 9. He made his comeback last Sunday, doing relatively okay on the field.
He threw for 246 yards and no interceptions, but also no touchdowns. As a result, his team defeated the New York Jets with an unimpressive 10-3 score. Six of New England’s points came from field goals scored by Nick Folk, who also missed two shots the same afternoon.
The only New England touchdown in that game was the work of rookie cornerback Marcus Jones – he scored an 84-yard return TD.
Minnesota Vikings to Say Sorry to Their Fans for Last Weekend
The Vikings suffered their worst defeat of the 21st century on Sunday – the Dallas Cowboys beat them 40-3 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. It was Minnesota’s worst home loss since 1963.
The good news for them is that they have an opportunity to say sorry to their fans just four days after the defeat. On Thanksgiving Day, they’re playing another game at U.S. Bank Stadium, this time against the Pats.
The bad news for the Vikes is that they have lost every single Patriots vs Vikings game played in the 21st century. The good news is that in none of those games, the Pats’ QB was Mac Jones, but Tom Brady. Knowing this, they really shouldn’t worry about conceding 40+ points again.
What they have to worry about is whether their offense can break Bill Belichick’s defensive wall. With Kirk Cousins as their quarterback, the Vikes are averaging 22.9 points per game. The worst thing is that the QB doesn’t seem to be in top shape, with some relatively poor performances in November.
Against the Buffalo Bills in Week 10, he did pass for 357 yards (his best record in 2022), but he failed to pass for a touchdown. Plus, two of his throws were intercepted. Cousins ended that game with a passer rate of 71.8. His stats were even worse the following week when he threw 12/23 for 105 yards and zero TDs against the Cowboys.
New England Patriots vs Minnesota Vikings Prediction
This is going to be a very close game, probably with not too many points. We expect the Pats to continue playing well defensively. Meanwhile, the Vikes really need to up their defensive game.
That said, we’ll probably see both teams go with a more cautious approach on Thursday night, but for which team will it pay off? We think it’s gonna be New England.
Picks: New England Patriots to win; under to hit