The Vikings are 10-6 and just drafted three impact players in the first round. In the eyes of those who set the betting lines, however, they are still unproven.
Keep in mind these are VERY preliminary, and setting lines for virtually the entire season (except for week 17) at this point doesn't mean a ton in the grand scheme of things. Still, it's interesting to see how Minnesota is perceived right now -- at least by Cantor Gaming:
Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions (-2.5)
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears (-2.5)
Cleveland Browns at Minnesota Vikings (-6.5)
Pittsburgh Steelers (-1.5) at Minnesota Vikings [London, England]
Carolina Panthers at Minnesota Vikings (-2.5)
Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants (-3)
Green Bay Packers (-1) at Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys (-1.5)
Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings (-1.5)
Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks (-6)
Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers (-4.5)
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings (-1.5)
Minnesota Vikings at Baltimore Ravens (-3.5)
Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings (-3.5)
Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals (-2.5)
You'll note that doesn't include Week 17, when the Lions play at Minnesota. We would assume Minnesota as a 3-4 point favorite in that one. Even so, the Vikings are underdogs in 10 of 16 games as of now. It's notable that 7 of those 10 games are 3 points or fewer, so it's not like there is no respect. Maybe we should just expect the Vikings to play a ton of really, really close games.
