Experts share their picks for the Patriots Week 12 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.
Mike Reiss, ESPN:
Pick: Patriots 27, Vikings 20
New England's 31st-ranked red-zone offense delivers some results against the NFL's 32nd-ranked red-zone defense.
Gregg Rosenthal, NFL.com
Pick: Patriots 23, Vikings 22
This is the type of Patriots team Bill Belichick loves: all defense and special teams, with the hope to find offensive footing by Thanksgiving. There were some promising signs against the Jets when the Pats used their two-tight end sets and ran play action. Mac Jones now gets a favorable matchup against a banged-up Vikings cornerback group. Kirk Cousins, meanwhile, held the ball too long against the Cowboys because he didn't trust what he was seeing. Look for Belichick to confuse Cousins, too, and get a win over Kevin O'Connell, whom the Patriots coach once drafted to back up Tom Brady.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports:
Pick: Vikings 24, Patriots 14
The Vikings were embarrassed Sunday at home, getting blown out by the Cowboys. They will bounce back and play better here. The New England offense is struggling, but the defense is playing well. Even so, I think the Vikings will respond on offense in this one to win it. The Patriots offense is bad.
John Breech, CBS Sports: Patriots
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk:
Pick: Patriots 17, Vikings 13
The Patriots held the Colts to three points and got Frank Reich fired. The Patriots held the Jets to three points and got Zach Wilson benched. Who from the Vikings will be losing their job after Thursday night?
Michael David Smith, Pro Football Talk:
Pick: Vikings 13, Patriots 10
The Vikings can't possibly look as bad on Thanksgiving night as they did on Sunday against the Cowboys. They'll bounce back with a hard-fought win.
Paul Perillo, Patriots.com:
Pick: Patriots 20, Vikings 16
Defense continues to create pressure and forces a couple of miscues from Kirk Cousins.
Mike Dussault, Patriots.com:
Pick: Patriots 23, Vikings 17
Some significant injuries and a short week complicate matters for both teams this week but I like the Patriots chances to get after Kirk Cousins and that might be enough to hold the Vikings in check. The state of the Patriots offense is the wild card, but I think they find a bit of a stride and post one of their better outputs this season.
Evan Lazar, Patriots.com:
Pick: Pats 23, Vikings 20
There are several matchups that favor the Patriots in this game other than it being on the road on a short week, which makes picking them tough. But I'll take Belichick dialing up the pressure on Cousins, scheming Justin Jefferson to a pedestrian day, and just enough offense for the Pats to get a win.
