Colts vs. Vikings Week 15 matchup preview and current betting lines
The last we saw of the Indianapolis Colts (4-8-1), they were getting outscored 33-0 in the fourth quarter by the Cowboys. With a bye week to recover from that disaster, they have a shot to upset the Minnesota Vikings, who are the first 10-3 team in NFL history to be outscored by their opponents. The Vikings are minus-10 in scoring differential after losing 34-23 in Detroit last week.
Minnesota is still in great shape to win the NFC North and possibly get the No. 2 seed in the NFC. But the defense has been terrible for several weeks now, and the offense is middle of the road in yards despite Justin Jefferson’s incredible pursuit of the first 2,000-yard receiving season. He leads the league with 1,500 yards and four games to go. With six games with at least 139 yards this season, it is possible he can get to 2,000.
But we are going to find out how interim coach Jeff Saturday can rally the troops after such an embarrassing 54-19 loss in Dallas. Under Saturday, the Colts have been able to beat the Raiders, hold fourth-quarter leads over the Steelers and Eagles before losing, and stood tall with Dallas for three quarters. It was four turnovers in the fourth quarter that opened the floodgates in Dallas, but this team has been competitive under Saturday.
The NFL Week 15 odds have the Vikings as a 4.5-point home favorite with a total of 47.5 points.
Players to watch in the Colts vs. Vikings game
Indianapolis Colts
Alec Pierce: The rookie wide receiver had been quiet lately, but he did have a season-high 86 yards and a touchdown against Dallas. He is second on the team with 510 receiving yards. Let’s not pencil him in to be the next Cooper Kupp, but he has a similar skillset and he could be a big contributor against a Minnesota pass defense that has been rotten for over a month now.
Minnesota Vikings
Danielle Hunter: When a defense plays Matt Ryan these days, the goal is strip-sacks. He is coughing the ball up at alarming rates. Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith lead the Vikings in sacks but neither has forced a fumble in the last two seasons. This is the game to hunt and force Ryan into turnovers with pressure.
Our Best NFL Bets for the Colts vs. Vikings game
We have two NFL Week 15 predictions for this rare Saturday game between non-conference opponents.
Colts vs. Vikings Point Spread Pick: Colts +4.5 (-113)
The Colts vs. Vikings spread opened with the Colts as a 4.5-point road underdog. The line has pretty much stayed consistent going into the weekend.
No one is going to confuse the 2022 Colts for a good team, but it is amusing that this is the only team to hold the Chiefs and Eagles under 20 points this season. They beat the Colts 20-17 and they were up 16-10 on the Eagles in the final minutes before losing 17-16. The Colts have also blown fourth-quarter leads against Washington and Pittsburgh, and they missed a game-winning field goal in overtime against Houston in Week 1.
So, this team could be much better than the 4-8-1 record it has. On the flip side, Minnesota is 9-0 in close games with no blown leads. But the Vikings still have a negative scoring differential and three losses because they were blown out by the Eagles and Cowboys before halftime. They also lost wire-to-wire in Detroit last week.
While the Colts have a share of close wins, they obviously messed up more of those games. The Vikings can seemingly do no wrong in those games and have gotten some unbelievable breaks to go their way. They are going to lose a close game eventually, and Matt Ryan has the experience to pull that off. He just has to avoid the turnovers that have plagued this offense. He should know that he could be benched again if he struggles with that in this game.
But ever since the Vikings had four takeaways in Buffalo, they have just two in the last four games, both against the Jets, the team that may have beat them if they didn’t drop a touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line.
Despite the Colts only forcing 12 takeaways this season, they do a good job of keeping the score low. They can hold the Vikings to 24 points at home and score 20 themselves. Take the Colts with the points for your NFL bet of the week.
Be sure to visit our NFL picks page for more betting tips.
bet on NFL with Betrivers >Colts Prop: Jonathan Taylor Anytime Touchdown Scorer (-125)
After 20 touchdowns last season, Jonathan Taylor has only scored four this season. Fortunately, he did score in three straight weeks before the Dallas meltdown. Under Jeff Saturday, the Colts are running the ball more and getting Taylor more involved like last year. The big runs have not been there as the line is not as good, but Taylor is consistently rushing for about 80 yards a week.
Taylor played the Vikings two years ago and had 101 yards and a touchdown. This year’s defense is mediocre against the run and is 24th in points allowed with several of the worst games in the last month.
If the Colts are going to break through in the red zone, chances are it will be with Taylor scoring. Trust him to get one in the end zone here.
bet on nfl with BET365Frequently asked questions about the Colts vs. Vikings game in Week 15
The game is being played at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In the Kirk Cousins era (2018-22), the Vikings are fittingly 15-15-1 ATS as a home favorite. That is still a better record than most teams in that split.
You will find them at our player prop picks and daily NFL predictions.