Minnesota Vikings vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Matchup Preview (12/6/20): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)

The Minnesota Vikings will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars next week at home for week 13. The Vikings have been racking up a lot of wins in the second half of the season to make a playoff run. Meanwhile, the Jacksonville Jaguars have been doing the exact opposite and have not won since week 1 of the season. For odds movement and full matchup history, visit the Minnesota Vikings vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Matchup Page.

TV Schedule

Date: Sunday, December 6th, 2020
Time: 1:05 PM ET
Location: U.S Bank Stadium – Minneapolis, Minnesota
TV Coverage: CBS

Vikings vs. Jaguars Live Stream

Where can you watch Vikings vs. Jaguars online? You can stream this game, and many other NFL games live online with Hulu. Hulu has a 7 Day free trial and is cheaper than cable options at $5.99/month. Watch Vikings vs. Jaguars Free Online Now.

Injuries:

Minnesota Vikings: Questionable: Jordan Brailford, Irv Smith, Ezra Cleveland
Jacksonville Jaguars: Questionable: Gardner Minshew, D.J. Chark, Sidney Jones, Chris Conley, Dare Ogunbowale, Dakota Allen, OUT: Trey Quinn, IR: DaVon Hamilton

Minnesota Vikings Analysis

The Minnesota Vikings have won four of their last five games in an attempt to make a late-blooming playoff berth in the NFC. The Vikings are 5-6 and are second in the NFC North. They are coming off of a one-point win over the Carolina Panthers last weekend with a score of 28-27. They will look to continue their hot streak over the Jacksonville Jaguars next week.

Kirk Cousins has really stepped up his game statistically for the Vikings. In his first six weeks, he had 11 total turnovers, and in the last five weeks, he only has three total turnovers. Last week, he had arguably his best game of the season against Carolina with a stat line of 307-3 with one fumble lost. He also ran the ball three times for 19 yards. Kirk’s play has created a turnaround for the Vikings in the back half of this season, and he needs to keep it up. Jacksonville has one of the worst passing defenses in the league that gives up nearly 70% completion percentage, the 4th most amount of passing yards, the third-most passing touchdowns, and the most yards per pass at 8.2 yards.

Dalvin Cook was not a huge factor in the game against the Panthers last week. He was kept to an 18-61 statistic line for an average carry of 3.4 yards, and his longest carry being 14 yards. He did haul in 4 catches for 21 yards from the backfield. He remains second in rushing yards and first in rushing touchdowns on the season. Jacksonville has allowed 136.2 rushing yards per game this season (29th) and 4.5 yards per attempt. Cook has been averaging 5.2 yards per attempt on the season, so he should have a good game if he is used.

Minnesota’s defense is pretty below average when it comes to defending the pass. They rank below average in passing yards allowed per game, yards per pass to opponents, and completion percentage. Plus, they allow the third-most passing touchdowns per game. However, their run defense is a bit better, considering they allow the fourth least amount of rushing touchdowns on the season. And, they have the third-best red zone percentage amongst all defenses in the league this season.

The Minnesota Vikings are making a strong charge towards a possible playoff contention in the back half of the season. This game should be a given win for them, making their case stronger and evening up their record. They will need to attack the pass and produce points while containing the Jaguars’ passing game and forcing them to run the ball.

Minnesota Vikings Depth Chart

QB: Kirk Cousins
RB1: Dalvin Cook
RB2: Alexander Mattison
WR1: Stefon Diggs
WR2: Olabisi Johnson
WR3: Adam Thielen
TE: Kyle Rudolph

Jacksonville Jaguars Analysis

The Jacksonville Jaguars continued on their losing streak with a loss last week to the Cleveland Browns. A failed two-point conversion attempt late in the game kept the Jaguars from forcing overtime on the Cleveland Browns. Mike Glennon saw his first NFL game since last year around this time for the Raiders. He will most likely start again if Gardner Minshew is not ready to go with a thumb injury. He is listed as questionable for the moment.

Mike Glennon had quite the game last week for a third-string quarterback, with 235 yards and two passing touchdowns. He avoided any turnovers nor any sacks in the entire game. He connected with Colin Johnson, the rookie out of Texas, for his second touchdown on the year and veteran tight end Tyler Eifert. Minnesota ranks below average in about every passing, defensive category, so if Glennon makes a start, he could have another solid outing.

James Robinson has been the highlight of the Jaguars’ offense this entire season and continued that last week against the Browns for 22-128-1 for a 5.8 average attempt. Robinson this season is third in rushing yards and tied for 10th in rushing touchdowns. The Minnesota Vikings have allowed 120.7 rushing yards per game this season but have allowed the third least amount of rushing touchdowns per game this season. Robinson will be a factor in the game, but the Jaguars might have to do this through the air.

The Jaguars’ defense has been their biggest issue on the season. Specifically, their pass rush is quite horrific, only racking up 11 sacks on the season, which is the worst value in the league for any team. They are below average in every level of running back yardage per game this season, from second to open level. Plus, they allow the third-most points per game to opponents with 29.5 points per game this season. If Jacksonville is focused on getting wins to close out the season, they will need to pick up the defensive slack.

Jacksonville Jaguars Depth Chart

QB: Gardner Minshew
RB1: Leonard Fournette
RB2: Ryquell Armstead
WR1: Chris Conley
WR2: D.J. Chark
WR3: Dede Westbrook
TE: Geoff Swaim

Betting Corner Vikings -9.5

Spread: +/- 9.5
Moneyline: Vikings -500, Jaguars +400
Over/Under: 52

Prediction

Spread: Vikings -9.5
Moneyline: Vikings -500
Over/Under: o52

The Minnesota Vikings have been playing some of their best football in the last five weeks, capturing most of their wins after their bye week. The Jacksonville Jaguars are possibly looking to lose out their season for the draft, especially doing so after pulling Jake Luton for Mike Glennon. I expect the Vikings to win and cover their spread. However, with the value of the Vikings, I am not so sure this is a game worth betting on.

I expect this game to hit the over, considering the poor level of defense between each team and the ability to score plentiful on offense against poor defenses for both of these teams. Minnesota has put up 25+ points in four of their last five games, with two of them over 30. Plus, Jacksonville has the ability to score well on teams, as they did last week. I would select the over for this game.

Love/Hate Fantasy Picks

Love

Kyle Rudolph has been playing quite well for the Vikings in recent games. Last week, he benefitted greatly from Adam Thielen and Irv Smith Jr. being kept out of the game and put up 13.68 fantasy points for a top ten performance for tight ends. While Thielen and Smith may return next week, the Jaguars have allowed the second-most fantasy points to tight ends this season. Rudolph is a great streamer for next week, as he is owned in only 13.6% of ESPN fantasy leagues.

Hate

James Robinson could very well run up a huge game on the Vikings, but he has struggled against teams that have better run defenses and allow fewer points to running backs in fantasy. For example, he has struggled against the Steelers and Colts this season. The Minnesota Vikings have allowed the 12th least amount of fantasy points to running backs and the third least amount of rushing touchdowns per game, while they allow the third-most fantasy points to receivers. The Jaguars might do a lot of their work through the air.