2020 · Week 16

Final

Vikings

Minnesota

QB Kirk Cousins

33·52

Saints

New Orleans

QB Drew Brees

Mercedes-Benz Superdome · dome · astroturf

Closing spread

NO -6.5

Total

49

Model margin

+4.4est.

NO perspective

Push chance

None

half-point line — cannot push

Win probability

  • Saints
  • Vikings

How each play moved the game.

Saints winsVikings wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

Vikingsedge mapSaints
  • +0.089EPA / play+0.096
  • 49.1%Success rate47.7%
  • +0.175EPA / dropback+0.140
  • -0.025EPA / rush+0.039
  • 11.4%Explosive rate9.5%
  • +4.45CPOE+2.58
  • 41.2%Third-down rate46.0%
  • 74.1%Red-zone TD rate72.9%
  • 2.30Points / drive2.72
  • 2.1%Turnover rate1.5%

Bar length is league percentile, already oriented so longer is better. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge; rows within ~12 points are washed as even.

The rivalry

MIN lead 10–7 since 1999

MIN have won 2 straight. Meetings average 52.1 points. NO are 8-9 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2023 · W10NO @ MIN1927MIN
2022 · W4MIN @ NO2825MIN
2019 · playoffsMIN @ NO2620MIN
2018 · W8NO @ MIN3020NO
2017 · playoffsNO @ MIN2429MIN
2017 · W1NO @ MIN1929MIN
2014 · W3MIN @ NO920NO
2011 · W15NO @ MIN4220NO

Box score

Individual performances

Vikings

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Kirk Cousins27/4129130

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Dalvin Cook15734.91
Ameer Abdullah11313.00
Mike Boone144.01

Receiving

PlayerRecTgtYdsTD
Adam Thielen89971
Justin Jefferson610850
Irv Smith69532
Tyler Conklin46310
Bisi Johnson11130
Dalvin Cook22120
Ameer Abdullah0100

Saints

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Drew Brees19/2631102
Taysom Hill2/2800

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Alvin Kamara221557.06
Latavius Murray12726.00
Taysom Hill5183.61
Emmanuel Sanders11212.00
Drew Brees3-3-1.00

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line +6.53.6%6.6%7.5%3.2%4.9%3.2%2.9%

Positive margins favour Saints; negative favour Vikings.

Half-point at risk

4.90%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

60.7%

Expected total

46.6est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)+2.66
  • Home-field advantage+1.71
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+4.36