Colts vs Vikings Week 15 Betting: Minnesota Finally Locks Down NFC North

There are only four weeks remaining in the 2022 NFL regular season as we arrive at Week 15. One of the more intriguing matchups of the week is a battle between the Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings. Both teams need to win for different reasons when it comes to the playoffs, making this Colts vs Vikings contest some must-see entertainment.

The Vikings 25-year drought of not beating the Colts is the franchise's longest active drought — by a mile.

They haven't defeated the Colts since 1997, and the second-longest drought of no wins against a specific team is the Chiefs — since 2015.

— Dustin Baker (@DustBaker) December 12, 2022

The Colts enter Saturday’s matchup following last week’s bye, giving the team some much-needed rest. They certainly needed it after getting blown out, 54-19, by the Dallas Cowboys in Week 13, leaving time to tell if Jeff Saturday’s squad can win this week to keep their slim playoff chances alive.

Meanwhile, the Vikings look to lock up the NFC North with a victory after picking up a 34-23 loss to the rival Detroit Lions last week. Minnesota only has one loss in seven games at U.S. Bank Stadium, making it interesting to see if that trend continues when the Colts come to town.

Betting News has gathered the latest Colts vs Vikings odds from BetOnline Sportsbook to help shed some light on the situation, along with a prediction and best bets for the NFL Week 15 game.

Indianapolis Colts vs Minnesota Vikings Week 15 Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Indianapolis Colts (4-8-1, 2-4-1 Away) vs. Minnesota Vikings (10-3, 6-1 Home)
• Venue & Location: U.S. Bank Stadium (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
• Date: Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022
• Game Time: 1 p.m. Eastern Time
• Colts vs Vikings Info: NFL Network

Colts vs Vikings Early Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 8:04 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Indianapolis Colts +4 (-110)
• Minnesota Vikings -4 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 48.5 Points (-110)
• Under 48.5 Points (-110)

Moneyline

• Indianapolis Colts +166
• Minnesota Vikings -198

Indianapolis Colts vs Minnesota Vikings Betting Trends

• Indianapolis is 6-0 straight up in its last six games against Minnesota.
• Minnesota is 7-1 straight up in its last eight home games.
• Indianapolis is 2-5 against the spread (ATS) in its last seven games.
• Minnesota is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games against the AFC South.
• The total has hit the under in eight of Indianapolis’ last 10 road games.
• The total has hit the under in five of Minnesota’s last six games against Indianapolis.

Indianapolis Colts vs Minnesota Vikings Prediction and Picks

Colts vs Vikings Prediction: Vikings 26, Colts 17

Colts vs Vikings Picks: Vikings -4 (Best Value: -110 at BetOnline) & Under 48.5 Points (Best Value: -110 at BetOnline)

The Vikings have had absolutely zero luck when it comes to playing the Colts over the last few decades. Minnesota has lost six straight games against Indianapolis, having not beaten its upcoming opponent since December 1997. The last meeting between the two sides took place two years ago, ending in a 28-11 victory for the Colts.

Having said that, each of these teams has changed a lot since then. The Vikings’ offense has improved over that span, proven by their 24.0 PPG clip this season (No. 10). A lot of their production stems from Justin Jefferson’s emergence over the last few seasons.

The superstar wideout has a ton of momentum entering this game, having just turned 11 receptions into 223 receiving yards against the Lions. Now, Jefferson must show what he can do against a Colts defense that surrenders the third-fewest passing yards (188.6) in the league.

Vikings QB Kirk Cousins must also be better than he was when he faced the Colts two years ago. The veteran gunslinger only completed 11-of-26 passes (42.3%) for 113 yards and three interceptions in defeat, so it’s safe to say he can’t afford a similar performance.

The good news for Cousins and co. is that they don’t need to put up a lot of points to beat the Colts. Indianapolis has the second-worst offense this season, putting up just 16.1 PPG (dropping to 12.7 PPG on the road). Even with Minnesota’s defense being below average, I don’t see the Colts getting much going.

The Colts have also been held to fewer than 20 points in nine of their last 12 games. Even though the Vikings only scored 23 points against the Lions last week, that effort would’ve been good enough to defeat the Colts on most nights this year.

The Colts must win to keep their playoff hopes alive, but I just don’t see it happening. This simply isn’t a team built to make noise in the postseason, whereas the Vikings are poised to win their first division title since 2017.

At the end of the day, this is the Vikings’ game to lose and, unless they lay a big goose egg, winning shouldn’t be an issue. Keeping that in mind, take Minnesota at -4 on the spread. The Vikings are 5-2-1 ATS in their last eight games while the Colts are 2-5 ATS in their most recent seven.

I also recommend backing the total going under 48.5 points. Indianapolis’ offense will make it hard to reach that mark, proven by its experiencing the under in five of its seven road games this season. Furthermore, the under has been hit in five of the last six Colts vs Vikings games, meaning a low-scoring affair is somewhat of a tradition between these two foes.

Other Indianapolis Colts vs Denver Broncos Resources

• Colts vs Vikings Consensus Picks, Score Projections & Betting Stats

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