Set for their first playoff matchup since Stefon Diggs spawned the Minneapolis Miracle, the Vikings head to New Orleans, and we're breaking down the best Saints Vikings props for the affair.
The Saints offense has been firing on all cylinders as of late. Since Drew Brees returned in Week 8, they're second in points per game with 32.7. Brees has been concentrating his targets mainly towards Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara; however, we're also expecting a relatively good game out of Tre'Quan Smith.
The Vikings offense has struggled to put up points the past two games, but will they be bolstered by the return of star running back, Dalvin Cook? We'll break down his prop in the first section before wrapping things up with a look at Smith's receiving line.
You can check out our props analysis for the rest of the Wild Card Weekend here:
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Vikings RB Dalvin Cook
Under 70.5 Rush Yards (-114)
Cook is returning from a two-game hiatus caused by a shoulder injury he suffered against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15.
Cook was on fire to start the year, with five 100+ yard efforts in seven games, but his play started to tail off in the second half of the season, even before the injury.
He's failed to crack 100 yards since Week 8, although he was close a couple of times. In his four games leading up to the injury, Cook rushed for a total of just 144 yards on 47 (3.1 YPC).
New Orleans is also no slouch when it comes to stopping the run. They rank amongst fifth in run defense DVOA, while also allowing:
- The second-fewest rush yards per game (64.94)
- The third-fewest yards per carry (3.65) to opposing RBs
Game script is a crucial factor here as well. The Vikings come in as 7.5 to 8-point road underdogs, the biggest spread of the weekend. With the Saints hitting its peak, it's going to be tough for Minnesota to stick to the run game, even if Cook is more effective than anticipated
They may try in the 1st Half, but if the Saints start pulling away, the Vikings have shown they have no issue letting Kirk Cousins throw it 35+ times in comeback mode.
I'd play this number on Cook down to 66.5 rushing yards.
