MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Sportsbooks wasted little time rethinking the Minnesota Vikings' title chances Tuesday after the team brought a familiar quarterback back to town.
The Vikings sent a 2027 third-round draft pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for Kirk Cousins ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
The deal came after a rough Monday night for Carson Wentz, who led Minnesota to just six points in a 23-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Following the trade, the Vikings' Super Bowl odds shortened from +3000 to +2200 at both FanDuel and BetMGM, Covers reported.
DraftKings moved Minnesota from +2400 to +2200, while Caesars went to +2300 from +2800, a price it had posted before the Buffalo game.
For casual fans, shorter odds mean oddsmakers like a team's chances more. A $100 bet at +2200 would pay $2,200 in profit if Minnesota wins Super Bowl LXI. That price implies roughly a 4 percent chance, up from about 3 percent at +3000.
The new number puts the 6-2 Vikings 12th on FanDuel's updated board, one spot behind the rival Green Bay Packers at +2000.
Minnesota opened the season at 50-1.
The bigger shift may be in the playoff race. DraftKings now lists the Vikings at -250 to make the postseason, a price that tops three NFC rivals in Green Bay, the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle.
Minnesota's offense ranks 31st in the league in EPA per play, a widely used efficiency measure.
Cousins, 38, played for the Vikings from 2018 to 2023, including two seasons under current head coach Kevin O'Connell. In nine games with Las Vegas this season, he threw for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
He could make his second Vikings debut Sunday at Lambeau Field, where Minnesota is a 3.5-point underdog against the Packers.
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