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Week 16 is upon us and this year it brings a Christmas afternoon special. Although Christmas is on a Friday, the NFL has slotted in a game with kickoff set for 4:30 p.m. ET. The New Orleans Saints will host the Minnesota Vikings with playoff implications in play.
The Saints are 10-4 and have clinched a playoff berth. They can clinch the NFC South with a win or a Bucs loss. The Vikings are 6-8 and will be mathematically eliminated from the playoff picture with a loss or a Cardinals win.
With all that being said, where are the bettors placing their money as we get closer to game time? Let’s check it out below! All the odds and info were provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Point Spread
The line opened with the Saints as 7.5-point favorites and has moved down to 6.5 points as of game day. On Thursday it sat at an even touchdown so if you are looking to get the Saints and waited until Christmas Day, you got that hook. As of game day morning, 82 percent of the handle and 71 percent of total bets are on the Saints to cover.
Is the public right? If you can get the Saints under a touchdown I think there’s some value to be had, but missing wide receiver Michael Thomas, guard Nick Easton, and safety Marcus Williams are tough losses. This could be a useful teaser leg to bring it down to Saints -0.5.
Over/Under
The point total opened at 52 and has settled at 50.5 points on game day morning. The betting public is backing the over, with 62 percent of handle and 71 percent of total bets.
Is the public right? The over makes sense considering both teams are dealing with significant injury issues on defense. The Saints will be without Williams and defensive linemen Malcom Brown and Trey Hendrickson are both questionable. The Vikings will be without linebackers Erik Kendricks and Troy Dye, defensive end Jalyn Holmes, and probably linebacker Todd Davis.
Moneyline
The Saints opened as -335 favorites while the Vikings opened as +260 underdogs. As of gameday morning, the Saints are -278 while the Vikings are +230. The betting public is heavily backing the favorites, with 84 percent of handle and bets on the Saints.
Is the public right? The Saints are the better team and Drew Brees has a game under his belt since his return from injury. The favorite is the right play.
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