Atlanta Falcons vs. Minnesota Vikings 4:15 ET
The afternoon schedule of Week 16’s NFL betting slate finds us in Minneapolis, MN at the HHH Metrodome for a fantastic sports betting affair between the Atlanta Falcons (9-5, 8-6 ATS) and Minnesota Vikings (9-5, 6-8 ATS); kick-off is slated for 4:15 ET and can be seen nationally on FOX. Atlanta currently holds the sixth and final playoff spot, while Minnesota holds a one-game lead over the Chicago Bears for the top spot in the NFC North.
Future players take note: the Atlanta Falcons currently sit as long shot +4000 choices to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season, while Minnesota chimes in with a +2000 return to get the job done. Bookmaker Sportsbook offers Super Bowl XLIII betting for every team still alive in the current regular season.
Atlanta got off to a quick 10-0 start at home last Sunday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but had to hold on in the closing minute of the 4th quarter just to extend the game to overtime. Tampa failed to make good on its first possession of the extra session, but Atlanta succeeded on its opportunity and picked up its 9th win of the season when K Jason Elam’s attempt from 34 yards out rang true.
Though head coach Mike Smith and his staff were thrilled to pick up the victory, NFL bettors came away displeased with the final results after the Falcons were bought up from a three-point favorite at the open to a 5.5-point chalk at the close. Turnovers immensely cost Falcon backers as the Buccaneers won the turnover battle 3:1 allowing them to come away with the pointspread victory. QB Matt Ryan struggled, but RB Michael Turner had a monster of a game chewing up 152 yards to go along with one TD on 32 overall carries.
Minnesota struggled mightily to put the hapless Detroit Lions away in Week 14, but had no problem disposing of the NFC West champion Arizona Cardinals last weekend. Before the Phoenix Stadium crowd could get comfortable in their seats, the Vikings had already put a score on the board after WR Bernard Berrian galloped 82 yards for a punt return TD less than four minutes into the game. The deficit quickly ballooned to 14 after Berrian scored his second TD of the day after hauling in a 41-yard pass from QB Tarvaris Jackson. The Vikings cruised to the easy outright road victory from there on out. They led 28-0 at the break, 
and left the desert 35-14 winners both SU and ATS.
QB Tarvaris Jackson had his best outing as a pro completing 11 of 17 passes for 163 yards and 4 TDs, and RB Adrian “All Day” Peterson gouged the Cardinals run defense for 165 yards on 28 overall carries.
These teams last met a year ago to kick off each clubs respective 2007 regular season campaigns. Minnesota came away with the 24-3 home win and cover as three-point home favorites, but Atlanta had no direction and was still suffering the sting of the hole Michael Vick debacle.
The favorite has dominated this series winning all five recent meetings both SU and ATS. Atlanta has gone 2-6 SU its L/8 trips to the Metrodome, and is 4-12 SU its L/16 road games. Minnesota has won five of its six home games this season by an average of eight points per game, which is why they’ve juiced out for NFL bettors with a 3-3 ATS mark.
Bookmaker.com currently has the Vikings sitting as (-3) –120 home favorites with a game ‘total’ of 44.
Will the Falcons keep the wild card hopes alive with another huge road victory, or will the Vikings wrap up the NFC North with their fifth straight victory.
