Vikings 2024 Win Total Projection (Oddsmakers Don't Trust Minnesota Quarterback Room)

The Minnesota Vikings have moved on from Kirk Cousins and used its first round pick on J.J. McCarthy, the quarterback of the reigning National Championship Michigan Wolverines.

Under the tutelage of Kevin O’Connell, the Vikings are hopeful that McCarthy can be the QB of the future, but maybe not in Week 1 and the short-term. With veteran Sam Darnold likely starting off the season as QB1, the Vikings win total doesn’t expect a big jump from last season's injury riddled campaign.

However, O’Connell has proven he can coach teams to play above expectations, can he do it again?

Here’s Minnesota's win total projection for 2024 from FanDuel Sportsbook.

Vikings Win Total Projection for 2024 Season

6.5 (Over -142/Under +116)

Quarterback Questions Lead to Tempered Win Total for Vikings

The Vikings couldn’t follow up its NFC North winning season with a down year in 2023, due in most part to injuries. The Vikings lost Cousins to a ruptured Achilles tendon and Justin Jefferson shuffled in and out of the lineup as well.

Overall, Minnesota was short-handed for much of the year, but still hung in the Wild Card picture for most of the season due to an improved defense around coordinator Brian Flores.

Flores returns to head up the defense as well as a host of key contributors and the addition of first round pick Dallas Turner to give a boost as a pass rusher.

However, there are plenty of questions on offense, namely quarterback. The Vikings are set to start the veteran Darnold ahead of the No. 10 pick McCarthy in hopes of easing the Michigan product along before throwing him right into play. Darnold has shown flashes, but is not being looked at favorably in terms of the team’s win total.

Will he struggle forcing O’Connell to rush McCarthy into the fray, hurting the team’s short term output?

Oddsmakers are expected a lean year for the Vikings.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Vikings 2024 Win Total Projection (Oddsmakers Don't Trust Minnesota Quarterback Room).