Vikings-Seahawks Predictions Roundup: Media Expects Seahawks to Win in Primetime
After two whole weeks without Vikings football, it's back in a big way. The well-rested Vikings will face the red-hot Seahawks on Monday Night Football, in a game with major implications for postseason seeding.
The Seahawks are a remarkable 28-5-1 in primetime games under Pete Carroll, so this will be a major challenge for the Vikings, especially on the road. They absolutely have the talent to win this game if they play well, but most writers believe the Seahawks will get the job done at home.
Gregg Rosenthal, NFL.com: Seahawks 26, Vikings 24
"Picking against the Seahawks this season, as I've done far too often, feels like picking against a higher power. Somehow, some way, Russ and Pete reward the faithful. The option looks especially dangerous this week, with Seattle's defense playing its best two games of the year in succession against the 49ers and Eagles. The Vikings are a tougher test because of their balance, while Kirk Cousins (gasp) is playing better than Jimmy G and Carson Wentz. This is a strange Minnesota team, with star players making nearly every facet of the squad good without any of them being truly great. Cousins winning in prime time in Seattle would be the strangest development for this Vikings team yet, and I can't quite picture it in my mind's eye. It's time for me to join the Seahawks flock and bathe in its illogical peace."
Courtney Cronin, ESPN Vikings Reporter: Seahawks 27, Vikings 24
"Bold prediction: Both Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf will each haul in two receiving touchdowns. Quarterback Russell Wilson should have his way with the Vikings' pass defense, which will have had 15 days to fix some of the issues that showed up routinely in Minnesota's first 11 games."
Brady Henderson, ESPN Seahawks Reporter: Seahawks 26, Vikings 23
"What to watch for: The Seahawks' defensive resurgence over the past two games has come against offenses that were missing some key pieces -- George Kittle for the 49ers, and Alshon Jeffery, Jordan Howard and Lane Johnson for the Eagles. Minnesota's offense is fifth in Football Outsiders' DVOA rankings, and it has a chance to be at full strength with receiver Adam Thielen expected to return off the bye."
Todd Haislop, Sporting News: Vikings 24, Seahawks 20
"Week 13 ends with a dandy of a toss-up between NFC playoff contenders, and depending on what happens elsewhere in the NFL on Sunday, the winner of this game might have a chance to take a major leap in the playoff picture. The Seahawks have a couple advantages as the home team with the better quarterback, but the Vikings, healthier coming out of their bye week, have advantages virtually everywhere else. Dalvin Cook will frustrate Seattle's defense, and Kirk Cousins will earn another prime-time win on the road."
Bleacher Report: Seahawks 28, Vikings 21
"This is a correction game. The Vikings beat the Cowboys in prime time on the road, and it looked like they were finally over their allergy to big road games in the spotlight. But that doesn't mean they're going to go into a place like Seattle and beat MVP candidate Russell Wilson in prime time, and you'd have to believe they'll do that in order to pick them plus-three points Monday night. Meanwhile, the Seahawks have yet to win a home game in regulation by more than a single point this season. That's extremely uncharacteristic for a team that has won an NFC-high 27 home games by 10-plus points in the Wilson era. They're bound to get back on track. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw the Vikings team that lost by 14 in Seattle on a Monday night last year or the one that laid an egg in Chicago earlier this season. And as well as Kirk Cousins has played, I'm not betting against Wilson at home in this quarterback battle."
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: Seahawks 28, Vikings 21
"This is Kirk Cousins on the road in a big game. That hasn't been a good thing for him, but he's played well this season. Russell Wilson is in the MVP conversation, and he should have a good day against a Minnesota defense that has struggled at times. The Seattle defense has made strides in recent weeks, which will cause problems for Cousins."
Three of CBS Sports' eight total pickers think the Vikings will win.
Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk: Seahawks 24, Vikings 20
"That win over the Cowboys hardly means that the Vikings have exorcised their prime-time demons."
Sam Farmer, LA Times: Seahawks 27, Vikings 23
"Huge test for Kirk Cousins, who still needs to prove he can beat an elite team. The Seahawks are really tough when the weather turns cold, and their place remains awfully tough on visitors."
What's your score prediction?
