Online Betting Overview The Minnesota Vikings were not really sure how this season was going to play out. When the year started, veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb was in charge of the offense. But the prospects for McNabb’s success were tenuous at best. His reputation was tarnished in Washington and he was trying to rebuild his name in Minnesota. Things were so bad in Minnesota that not even rookie quarterback Christian Ponder had any respect for McNabb. But, by week five, Ponder was in as the starter and McNabb was banished to football obscurity. Donovan McNabb will probably never get another starting job in the NFL again. That is too bad, because the jury is still out on whether or not Christian Ponder deserves to have his NFL starting job. After a slight stumble in the beginning of the season that had the price per head Atlanta Falcons fans a bit worried, the Falcons have started to come on late in the season. But the Falcons are only a shadow of what they were last year and at 6-4 is not the imposing threat that everyone thought they would be. The problem in Atlanta is the defense. While quarterback Matt Ryan is lighting up the opposing secondary, the Atlanta defense is 26th in stopping the pass. It should be noted that the bookie software has the Falcons’ defense as second in the league against the run. Out of necessity this season, the Vikings have become a running team. Minnesota Vikings Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson is having an average year by his standards. After 10 games played, Peterson has 872 yards rushing. But a bodog review of Peterson’s offensive output shows that he has scored 11 touchdowns this season. Adrian Peterson has more rushing touchdowns this season than all of the Minnesota quarterbacks have in passing touchdowns. He is the Minnesota offense, and the Falcons’ defense will have to shut Peterson down to win this game. Despite his statistics, Peterson has been shut down on several occasions which has led to a Minnesota loss. If Adrian Peterson can find a way through this Atlanta defense, then the game could go to Minnesota. But if Peterson gets shut down, then this one is over. Atlanta Falcons The Falcons were supposed to be the class of the NFC South, but instead it is fighting for its playoff life. The NFL fans in Atlanta expected a lot out of the Falcons and the offense was able to deliver. But the defense struggled early in the season and now we have a situation where the Falcons are 6-4 and a full game behind the Saints for first place in the NFC South. Atlanta is going to need to put together a winning run in this last part of the season if it wants to challenge for the NFC South title or pick up an NFC wild card spot. The Bottom Line The Falcons have something to fight for at this point in the season while the Vikings do not. Christian Ponder is struggling as the rookie quarterback for the Vikings while Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan is hitting on all cylinders. If the Falcons can shut down the Minnesota running game, then this one may not even be close. Pick: Atlanta Falcons
