Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Minnesota Vikings Pick ATS

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-10 SU, 5-6 ATS) vs. Minnesota Vikings (5-6 SU, 6-5 ATS)

Week 13 NFL

Date/Time: Sunday, December 6, 2020 at 1PM EST

Where: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

TV: CBS

Point Spread: JAC +9.5/MIN -9.5 (GTBets – 100% REAL CASH BONUS UP TO $500!!!!)

Over/Under Total: 52

The Jacksonville Jaguars take on the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Jags sunk to 1-10 on Sunday, giving it a good go, but coming up short to the Browns, 27-25, when their late two-point conversion failed. Their backers hope for a similar level of scrappiness this week when they visit the surging Vikings, winners of 4 of 5 games, including a comeback win over the Panthers on Sunday, 28-27, to keep their faint playoff hopes alive. Who can get the upper hand in Minneapolis on Sunday?

Watch Out for the Jags!

When a team loses ten straight games and just fired their GM, it’s fair to say things aren’t going well. The Jaguars have deteriorated from a conference title team to a doormat in just a few short years. It’s a demoralizing situation to say the least. And even last week, with a win there to be had, they couldn’t get it done. But there is still a certain level of appeal. They usually get pretty juicy spreads and for a team that has dumped ten straight, their 5-6 ATS mark tells you that betting against them is hardly a cinch.

It is hard to candy-coat the situation on a bottom-line basis. To open the season with a win over Indy then proceed to go right into the toilet is a bad look. They started their third different QB of the season on Sunday with Mike Glennon. A dicey line and the lack of continuity has made it hard for the good parts of the team to surface, that being some of their skill players. With James Robinson in the backfield, and receivers like Laviska Shenault, Keelan Cole, and DJ Chark, they can do some damage. But between all their personnel issues, it just hasn’t really come off well.

The other side of the ball also fails to inspire confidence. A defense that made plays left and right a few seasons ago, they haven’t been able to make so much as a ripple this season. Injuries are a part of that equation, but whether it’s against the pass, the run, or just in making some difference-making plays, this defense hasn’t really delivered. Yet despite all of this, we see certain results that remind us not to completely neglect them. We have the two-point loss to an 8-3 Browns team on Sunday, a 4-point road-loss to another 8-3 team two weeks ago in the Packers, as well as competitive losses to the Texans and Chargers directly preceding that. In other words, their results aren’t always as bad as their overall predicament would suggest.

More Picks: Get Loot’s NFC North DET/CHI Pick >>>

Breaking Down the Recent Minnesota Surge

After a 1-5 start, things were looking bleak for the Vikings. And whether it were an easing up of their schedule, an elevation in form, or a mixture of both, the results have been a lot better. On Sunday against Carolina, they got off to a nice lead and looked on their way to a routine way. Early in the second half, however, two fumbles were returned for a TD and Carolina began to pull away. But then the very guys who almost coughed away the game actually came back to help win it, with Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, and receiver Chad Beebe playing big to put the win in their column. They didn’t cover the spread, but after losing to Dallas the previous week, getting back on the winning track was key for a team that can still salvage something if everything goes well. However, with Dalvin Cook leaving the game with an ankle injury last week, as well as Adam Thielen being on virus protocol, their offense is dealing with some issues.

Pointing out that the Vikings’ surge has come against iffy opposition might not mean a whole lot as they set to face a team on a ten-game skid. But their 4-1 mark in their last five has come against the Packers, Lions, Bears, Cowboys, and Jags. Other than Green Bay, they’ve been in pretty easy and most of those games have been painfully-close. And they lost to a pretty lousy Dallas team just a few weeks ago at home. On one hand, they are at home for the third straight week and seeing things go more their way as of late. On the other hand, they’re still struggling with some pretty bad teams and still aren’t passing the eye test as anything resembling a real contender.

Obstacles for a Minnesota Cover

With Dalvin Cook, some quality receivers, and a QB in Cousins who can do damage in the right spots, Minnesota backers will hope this side of the ball does a lot of damage against a subpar Jaguars’ defense that has struggled to find any source for optimism. Still, there are good players on this Jacksonville “D” that can still take advantage in the event that the Vikes’ offense starts sabotaging their own effort, as we saw last week. In addition, we’re looking at a Minnesota defense that has taken several steps back this season, barely-serviceable against the run and sometimes awful against the opposing passing-game.

Take the Points

Granted, the prospects of taking a team that lost ten straight coming out of their conference on the road against a Vikes’ team that has seen better results is not all that appetizing on paper. The Vikings are dug in at home, as the Jags are coming off another painful loss, so this is certainly a spot where a team like Jacksonville could fall flat. I just think a closer examination of the recent Minnesota surge at least partially reveals that they’re still struck with a stubborn case of mediocrity that has been hard to shake. And laying a big number on a team like that against a Jaguars’ team that is still showing some fight doesn’t seem that solid. I’ll take the Jags and the points.t

Loot’s Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I’m betting on the Jacksonville Jaguars plus 9.5 points. While we head into December, we’re looking to spread both holiday cheer and a gift that will benefit you every single time you log in to make a bet! The gift of reduced juice! It’s the gift that keeps on giving! Why would you ever be ok betting on games at -110 when you could be making the very same bets at -105? Imagine the money you’d save! Give yourself the gift of -105 reduced odds at BetAnySports!