Vikings' Week 12 Win Has Huge Impact on NFC North Race

The Minnesota Vikings got back on track in Week 12, pulling out an exciting 33-26 victory over the New England Patriots on Thanksgiving. It was a gritty performance by the Vikings, who avoided a two-game losing streak after getting blown out by the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, 40-3.

Minnesota's win in primetime turned out to be bad news for the rest of the NFC North.

NFC North Race

The Chicago Bears have now been eliminated from contention in the division race. No one really expected the 3-8 Bears to rally and challenge for the NFC North crown, but this victory officially closes the door on that possibility.

The Vikings' magic number now sits at 2 following the win, meaning they could clinch the NFC North as early as next week if they win and both the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions lose.

Minnesota is certainly in the driver's seat following its 9-2 start as the only team in the NFC North with a winning record. The division has been theirs to lose for a while now, and now it only seems like a matter of time before the Vikings officially lock it up.

Isaiah De Los Santos is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Isaiah De Los Santos also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username zayyy05328. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.