The Minnesota Vikings Could Have A Bad Season Due To COVID-19

• The Minnesota Vikings has the lowest rate in the NFL for the COVID-19 vaccine with only 64.5% of players and staff being vaccinated.
• The NFL has said that at-risk teams will have to forfeit games, which could hurt Minnesota’s upcoming season record should their vaccination rate continue to be low.
• At the moment, sportsbooks have the Vikings winning Over 9 games this season with odds of (-125) but that could change if their vaccination rate remains the same.

MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Vikings have the lowest player vaccination rate in the NFL and any COVID-19 related issues could severely affect the team’s upcoming season record in a negative way. The Vikings’ are coming off of a 7-9 season in 2020, finishing third in the NFC North. The team was expected to exceed those marks in the 2021-2022 season but the Coronavirus could really hinder those expectations.

What Could Happen With The Minnesota Vikings In The New Season

The Minnesota Vikings have a total of 64.5% of players and staff of the organization that are vaccinated and 70% who have received at least one dose of the vaccine. This is the worst rate in the NFL as 27 of the 32 teams are over 85% vaccinated.

“We’re very concerned,” said Mark Wilf,  owner, and president of the team. “I think it’s safe to say that our No. 1 priority is the health and safety of our players, our coaches, our staff, and, ultimately, the entire community.”

There are currently four players on the COVID-19 list for the Vikings, including starting quarterback Kirk Cousins. It’s been reported that Cousins has had at least one of the two doses of the vaccine but is unable to play because he has to follow the NFL guidelines which list him as “high-risk close contact.” However, this is a very serious issue not just in terms of the health of the team but the NFL’s rules on this matter are strict and will make teams forfeit games should they be unable to reschedule and have too many athletes at high risk of infecting other teams.

“We’re encouraging people to take the vaccines, to get vaccinated,” said Wilf. “We’re trying to educate everyone in the organization, the team, to get the vaccinations.”

This problem will not only affect the team but the community that counts on home games for revenue in the hospitality industry. So, it is the hope of everyone that the players become fully vaccinated by the time the season starts because a lot is riding on this, not just their overall health safety.

Online sportsbooks like BetOnline have a number of wagers on Minnesota’s upcoming season and these odds could shift tremendously with the current state of affairs of the organization. The Vikings’ have multiple bets posted for sports bettors but a few of the top wagers include the “Over 9 Season Wins” with the Over at (-125) and the Under at (-105). They are eleventh on the leaderboard for winning the Super Bowl in 2022 with odds of (+2800) and second to win the NFC North Division with odds of (+215).

What’s Next For The Vikings

Regulated sports betting operators will likely begin to shift their odds on the team in the weeks leading up to the start of the regular season which for the Minnesota Vikings begins on September 12. If players and staff continue to disregard the NFL rules regarding the Coronavirus, it is the fans and businesses that will suffer right along with their decisions.

NFL betting is the best and most profitable time of year for any sportsbook and it would be a shame if the Minnesota Vikings were unable to have the season they’re projected to have because of a vaccine that all other teams and the world are taking part in. Without this shot, the Vikings’ will likely end up without a Super Bowl shot in 2022 because it’s kind of a two-for-one deal this season if the NFL has anything to say about it.

 

 

News tags: COVID-19 | COVID-19 vaccine | Kirk Cousins | Mark Wilf | Minnesota | Minnesota Vikings | NFC North | NFL | Super Bowl 2022