This week at Foul Play-by-Play, we discuss the state of the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Wild, Minnesota Twins, and Minnesota Timberwolves and determine which is closest to contending for a championship. We also share our best sports bets for the big college football weekend. See our discussion topics and suggested reading below.

Vikings Still Lucky, but Also Good

• Haven’t won a game by more than one score since Week 1 vs. Packers
  • Underdogs again (+3.5) @ Green Bay
• Vikes might be the fourth-best NFC team, sixth overall?
  • Does it matter when you’re clutch and entertaining AF?
    • Played the two best games ever seen this season
    • Most entertaining season ever?

Wild are Wildly Entertaining, Too

• Wild are 4.5 points off pace of 21-22 season without Fiala and Talbot
  • Seven of their top-10 scorers are 26 or under, with Sam Steel replacing Fiala on top line
  • Filip Gustavsson has been better than Talbot and Fleury were last year and have been this year
• Is their future the brightest in Minnesota?
  • Have the best player on the ice against most the league; offense is electric, but defense is old (22, 33, 28, 30, 27, 29, 37)

Twins be Twinning, Won’t be Winning

• Twins and Giants lose Carlos Correa…or did they? Wtf is going on with his health? https://twinsdaily.com/news-rumors/minnesota-twins/carlos-correa-free-agent-news-twins-mets-giants/
  • Do you even want him at that price and for that long?
  • Mets the new evil empire? Impact on MLB? https://twinsdaily.com/news-rumors/minnesota-twins/the-mets-changed-the-game-r13432/
  • Who the fuck is Kyle Farmer? Jamey Carroll all over again?
• Is there a trade that can win the division? A playoff game? Just one fucking playoff game?
  • This regime has never paid a free agent pitcher more than the $20 million they gave Michael Pineda for two seasons, per Aaron Gleeman: https://twitter.com/AaronGleeman/status/1607902938327818248?s=20&t=bR3Cf3NORifDQ80WnBfiCg

Wolves Woeful With & Without KAT

• 10-11 with; 6-7 without
  • Allowing the most three-pointers per game (14.2) and out of position on rebounds (fifth-worst) as a result of that bad perimeter defense
    • D’angelo Russell, Austin Rivers, and Jalen Nowell are all bottom 40 defenders.
    • Trade Russell if you can? He’s the 10th worst defender in the NBA and his skill set isn’t a fit anymore.
• Should they tank?

Best Bets

We’ll keep a spreadsheet of all results that’ll soon be available at FoulPlaybyPlay.com. 

Anthony

Vikings to win (+160), cover (+3.5 at -118), and over 48.5 total points (-110). Defenses are not good. There will be points even if the weather is bad. Parlays: Vikings moneyline and over ($5 to win $19.82) and Vikings to cover and over ($10 to win $25.23)

Mike

Five-game, over/under parlay: Vikings/Packers under 48.5, Bears/Lions over 51.5, Browns/Commanders under 40.5, Panthers/Buccaneers over 40.5, and Colts/Giants over 38.5 ($20 to win $430).

Brad

Michigan Wolverines -13.5, Georgia Bulldogs -9.5, Kansas Jayhawks moneyline, Ole Miss Rebels moneyline, Oregon Ducks -6.5, Alabama Crimson Tide moneyline, LSU Tigers -8.5, USC Trojans moneyline, Texas Longhorns moneyline, Florida State Seminoles -6.5, Michigan Wolverines -7.5, and Georgia Bulldogs -6.5