Three weeks into the NFL season, the Minnesota Vikings are arguably the hottest team in the NFC.
That’s come as something of a surprise to much of the league. It’s also shifted betting lines in multiple NFL futures markets as QB Sam Darnold continues to look like one of the biggest surprises in the NFC.
Below, we’ll look at the latest Vikings odds following the team’s undefeated start. We’ll also look at some futures on Darnold and others headed into the team’s Week 4 road game against the Green Bay Packers.
Minnesota Vikings futures odds shift
At the start of the season, the Vikings were last on the odds board to win their division. Now the team is still behind the Detroit Lions, who won the NFC North last season, but after the unbeaten start, Minnesota has pulled well ahead of the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.
The Vikings began the season at +1500 odds to win the conference. Those odds were initially slower to budge but have now started to move as the hot start looks less like a fluke. Minnesota has not won the NFC since 1977.
Minnesota opened at +5000 in Super Bowl odds, putting the team in the bottom half of the odds board overall. Now, as one of only two unbeaten teams left in the conference, it’s knocking on the door of the top 10.
The Vikings were not among the playoff favorites while the murky quarterback situation played out over the offseason. After a year that saw a rotating cast under center, Minnesota traded away Kirk Cousins and put a lot of its hopes into rookie draft pick J.J. McCarthy. When McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury, postseason odds tanked. They have improved rapidly with Darnold’s strong performance to start the year.
Sam Darnold sees jump in QB rating
Darnold has been the biggest surprise so far this season for the Vikings. After landing in Minnesota as an offseason acquisition, he was seen as a journeyman backup who was no one’s idea of a savior or even a first option. But after McCarthy’s knee injury, the team turned to the seventh-year QB out of necessity.
Now, Darnold in Minnesota has the highest quarterback rating (117.3) and completion percentage (67.9) of his career thus far. The eight TD passes he’s thrown through the first three games are halfway to the total he hit in two seasons with the Carolina Panthers. Now whats the status of his players futures?
Darnold to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year
Current odds: Sam Darnold +850 on FanDuel
Darnold wasn’t anywhere to be found on the board for Comeback Player of the Year odds at the start of the season. But after another strong performance in Week 3, he has shifted from an afterthought to one of the favorites.
Darnold to win NFL MVP
Current odds: Sam Darnold +1400 on Bet365
Darnold still has to be considered an underdog in MVP odds, but the betting line on him has shifted significantly over the last two weeks. It would likely take a great season for Minnesota to get him serious consideration, but unbeaten through three weeks is an excellent start.
