Entering the 2023 season, the Vikings Super Bowl odds stand at +3500 on DraftKings Sportsbook, just enough to put them in the top half of the league on the oddsboard.
The Vikings were strong on offense last year, but will need a much better effort from their defense to have any hope of winning the championship this season. That +3500 number has been available for much of the summer, and any Vikings bettor who has high hopes for the team has surely already locked down that bet and are itching for the games to start so they can begin betting against the spread on a game by game basis.
With the Hall of Fame game kicking off soon, signaling the unofficial start to football season, MinnesotaBets decided to help bettors get a jump on the betting they will do this season by tracking each NFL coach’s record against the spread and to see where Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell ranks after his first year at the helm.
Best NFL Head Coaches Against The Spread
We utilized data from TeamRankings.com to gather every active NFL head coach’s record ATS, dating back to 2003 when data was made available. We did not include records from interim stints.
Will O'Connell improve and cover the spread more this season? You can track the Vikings playoff chances all season on MinnesotaBets.com.
Where Kevin O'Connell Ranks ATS
The early indication for Minnesota fans is not great, as O’Connell struggled against the spread in his first season with a 7-10-1 record, ranking him in the bottom five. Fellow first year coach Brian Daboll led the list with an impressive 14-5 ATS record although that is likely to drop this year with oddsmakers showing the Giants much more respect after their surprisingly strong season.
Despite the poor showing ATS, O’Connell put up a very strong 13-4 overall record, winning games but not covering spread which makes Minnesota fans happy but leaves bettors wanting more. The lack of bite on defense was the main culprit last year, so an improvement on that side of the ball should spell a much more profitable year for Vikings bettors.
Daboll’s Giants ended up beating the Vikings in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, yet another notch for his belt that O’Connell has yet to accomplish.
Vikings fans can take solace in the fact that many great coaches also struggle against the spread, as both Super Bowl coaches this year, Andy Reid and Nick Sirianni, flirt with the 50% rate against the spread. Like O’Connell last regular season, they are happy to collect wins however they can get them and pay no attention to how they do in the betting market.
One coach who has found success in both areas is Patriots legend Bill Belichick, who has a 58% record against the spread, good for fifth among coaches and made more impressive by his 28 year sample size.
Vikings bettors were able to profit on moneyline wagers and the over side of the over/under bets last year, but the lack of profit against the spread and the lack of success in the playoffs leaves much to be desired.
While winning bets against the spread throughout the year would be great, that +3500 Super Bowl future stands out as the bet that everyone would prefer to cash in on. Hopefully, Minnesota sports betting can find a way to legalize in time for the new NFL season.
