Minnesota Vikings Season Preview: The ERA of J.J. McCarthy Begins

Not many people expected the season that the Minnesota Vikings had in 2024. With their first round draft pick, J.J. McCarthy lost for the season before it even began, it was supposed to be a lost year. But with bridge quarterback Sam Darnold under center, the Vikings pulled off a 14-3 record, tied for the second-best mark in the league.

But it’s a new season in 2025, and Darnold has left Minnesota to sign with the Seattle Seahawks in the offseason, and rookie J.J. McCarthy is ready to take the reins of this offence. With massive changes around the NFC North division, can the Vikings pull off another stellar season? Or will the spotlight be too much for McCarthy to handle against two of the top teams in the NFL? This Minnesota Vikings season preview will look back at last year’s campaign, what to expect this year, and the top betting markets at Canadian sportsbooks for the 2025 season.

Minnesota Vikings 2024 Season Review

What started as a nightmare preseason ended as a dream regular season for the Minnesota Vikings. The team lost first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy to a knee injury and thrust Sam Darnold back under center. What followed was one of the most improbably regular seasons in recent NFL memory.

The Vikings went 14-3, falling just short of winning the NFC North division. The Detroit Lions posted an improbable 15-2 record and locked up the top spot in the NFC. If the Vikings were in any other division, the team would have been tied with the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles for the second-best record in the conference.

Two of Minnesota’s three losses came against the Lions, with the third coming at the Los Angeles Rams. The Vikings would play those same Rams in the NFC Wildcard round of the playoffs, and fell short again, losing by a score of 27-9.

Vikings to Win the NFC North Division

It’s not often you see teams that went 14-3 in the previous season heading in a new direction, but it’s clear the Vikings intend to build around quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The historical success of rookie quarterbacks in the NFL isn’t very good, which might be ominous for this year’s Minnesota team. Even without the challenge of having a rookie under center, it would have been challenging for the Vikings to improve over last season’s record.

The NFC North division has never been stronger. The reigning champion Detroit Lions are returning most of their lineup with a couple of key exceptions on the offensive line. They are also without their offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who is now the head coach of the Chicago Bears.

Speaking of the Bears, they will look to improve in their second season with Caleb Williams under center. Many are expecting a bump to the Bears’ offence with Johnson at the helm, but they are still the clear fourth-best team in the division.

The Green Bay Packers could be the most improved squad after landing All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys. Green Bay had an 11-6 record in 2024 and is in a great position to improve on that this season.

At BetVictor Canada, the NFC North Division winner odds are as follows:

• Green Bay Packers +175
• Detroit Lions +188
• Minnesota Vikings +333
• Chicago Bears +500

The Vikings to Win Both Games Versus Each Division Rival

In a division as competitive as the NFC North, it’s a tall task for any team to win both their games against each division rival, let alone sweeping the six divisional games in 2025. In 2024, the Vikings went 4-2 in divisional games, losing both matchups against the Detroit Lions, including the game in Week 18.

Here are the odds for the Vikings to win both games against each divisional rival in 2025:

• Chicago Bears +225
• Green Bay Packers +350
• Detroit Lions +400

The Vikings swept both the Bears and Packers last season, but both teams should be much improved this year. Minnesota opens the season at Chicago and then closes the season hosting the Lions and Packers in Weeks 17 and 18. They will play the remaining three divisional games in the span of four weeks from Week 9 to 12, with the Baltimore Ravens sandwiched between them.

If you think the Vikings have a shot at sweeping all six divisional games in 2025, BetVictor Canada offers that betting market with odds of +5000.

How Many Total Points Will the Minnesota Vikings Score This Season?

The Vikings’ offensive output is going to be tricky to project this year. The unknown of J.J. McCarthy at quarterback has many questioning if players like Justin Jefferson or T.J. Hockenson can put up the same numbers as with Darnold or Kirk Cousins.

There are other wrinkles to begin the year with Minnesota’s offence. Jefferson suffered a hamstring injury and has missed practices and preseason games. Soft tissue injuries can linger and impact player performance, especially for a wide receiver who relies on speed and agility like Jefferson.

Jefferson’s partner in crime, Jordan Addison, is also serving a suspension for the first three games of the year. Missing a key piece like Addison could have an impact on the flow of the offence to start the year. Addison could also show signs of rust when he does return to the lineup in Week 4.

BetVictor’s Canadian online sportsbook has odds for the over/under of the total points scored by each team. Here is how the Vikings have fared in recent seasons:

The current posted total points over/under for the Vikings in 2025 is 395.5 points on BetVictor Canada. Odds makers are betting on a drop-off from 2024, likely due to the uncertainty around McCarthy and a strong defensive unit.

The Vikings’ posted total points over/under is the lowest in the AFC North division. Here are the posted totals for the rest of the teams in the division:

• Chicago Bears Over/Under 400.5 points
• Green Bay Packers Over/Under 415.5 points
• Detroit Lions Over/Under 435.5 points

Vikings to Win the NFC Championship

Can the Vikings put together another strong season and make a deep Cinderella run in the NFL Postseason? Minnesota’s defence is a strong unit led by the defensive coordinator Brian Flores. His scheme was one of the main reasons why Minnesota pieced together such a stellar campaign in 2024.

As of now, Canadian online betting sites like BetVictor Canada have the Vikings as the seventh-highest odds to win the NFC Conference. Minnesota has odds of +1400 and sits behind the Philadelphia Eagles (+333), Detroit Lions (+500), Green Bay Packers (+600), San Francisco 49ers (+800), Washington Commanders (+850), and Los Angeles Rams (+1000).

Minnesota Vikings Futures Splits

There are some interesting season-long player prop markets open for Minnesota Vikings players. Here are some of the notable props on BetVictor Canada:

• J.J. McCarthy for Quarterback with the Most Passing Yards: +2800
• J.J. McCarthy for Quarterback with Most Passing Touchdowns: +2000
• J.J. McCarthy Over/Under Regular Season Passing Yards: 3600.5 yards
• J.J. McCarthy Over/Under Regular Season Passing Touchdowns: 24.5 touchdowns
• J.J. McCarthy NFL MVP Odds: +6600
• Justin Jefferson for Most Receiving Yards: +750
• Justin Jefferson Over/Under Regular Season Receiving Yards: 1250.5 yards
• Justin Jefferson for Most Regular Season Receptions: +1000
• Justin Jefferson for Most Regular Season Receiving Touchdowns: +950
• Justin Jefferson NFL MVP Odds: +12500
• Justin Jefferson Offensive Player of the Year Odds: +1600

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