The Minnesota Vikings have parted with several talented veterans throughout the offseason, but they still have more than enough talent to remain one of the NFC's top playoff contenders in 2023. Below, we continue our NFL odds series with an over/under win total prediction for the Minnesota Vikings.

Following back-to-back losing seasons under former coach Mike Zimmer, Minnesota took a massive step forward, at least on paper, in the first year under coach Kevin O'Connell.

The team produced its third-best regular season record in franchise history (13-4), despite remarkably being outscored by its opponents (424-427). An incredible NFL-high 11 one-score wins had a lot to do with it, along with blowout losses to the Eagles, Cowboys, and Packers.

Minnesota's trend of underwhelming under the national spotlight under quarterback Kirk Cousins continued as well, as the Vikings went a combined 3-3 in late-afternoon and primetime games.

Despite dealing with pass protection issues (allowed the eighth-most sacks) and struggling to run the ball in O'Connell's system (tied for the fifth-fewest rushing yards), the Vikings' offense was firing on all cylinders through the air with Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson, who led the NFL in receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809) at the age of 23. Minnesota finished with the second-most passing yards in the NFL, trailing only Super Bowl champion Kansas City.

The strengths of the team had a lot to do with those metrics, along with the game scripts and the weaknesses on defense. The Vikings were below-average against the run (13th-most rushing yards allowed and tied for the ninth-most rushing touchdowns allowed), but they struggled much more through the air, giving up the second-most passing yards in the league.

Can the Vikings overcome some of their offseason departures and make a deep playoff run in the wide-open NFC North? Without further ado, let's take a look at the Vikings' over/under odds.

Here are the latest NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel

NFL Odds: Vikings Over/Under Win Total

Over 8.5 Wins: -142

Under 8.5 Wins: +116

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Why Minnesota Could Hit The Under

It's a low bar to clear, but it's still an open question whether the league's second-worst pass defense will actually take a step forward after parting ways with starting cornerbacks Patrick Peterson, Cameron Dantzler, and Chandon Sullivan.

Byron Murphy now sits atop the Vikings' depth chart at cornerback after signing a two-year, $17.5 contract at the onset of free agency, but last year's second-round pick Andrew Booth Jr. and fourth-round pick Akayleb Evans are next in line and they both struggled immensely in limited snaps. Third-round rookie Mekhi Blackmon will also have an opportunity to make an impact out of the gate to try to elevate the biggest weakness on the Vikings' roster.

Minnesota has moved on from eight starters this offseason to clear some valuable cap space. A couple of them were replaced via the open market—edge rusher Za'Darius Smith and defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson.

Smith, who was traded to Cleveland, was replaced by Marcus Davenport in what essentially amounts to a lateral move in terms of the contract and performance. Davenport is four years younger but has proven to be far more injury-prone up to this point. Tomlinson, meanwhile, was replaced by the vastly cheaper Dean Lowry, who offers significantly less upside as a pass rusher.

One of them was replaced through the draft, as soon-to-be 33-year-old Adam Thielen was replaced by first-round receiver Jordan Addison, who looks to lead this rookie WR class and give Jefferson more opportunities to feast in single coverage.

The rest were replaced in-house with the next man up philosophy, including running back Dalvin Cook (veteran Alexander Mattison), linebacker Eric Kendricks (2022 third-round pick Brian Asamoah), and the aforementioned trio of corners, as the Vikings seemingly look to follow in the footsteps of the Eagles from a few years ago with the so-called “competitive rebuild.”

But that could be changing soon, with a potential Danielle Hunter trade also looming. Set to earn just $5.5 million in a contract year, Danielle Hunter is skipping the Vikings' mandatory minicamp after bouncing back from an injury-plagued 2021 season with 10.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss in 2022. Hunter's currently the most talented defensive player on the Vikings' roster and his 70 pressures also tied for the seventh-most in the league last year—not far behind the 78 from Smith.

With nearly 150 combined pressures, losing a pair of high-impact edge rushers in Za'Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter in the same offseason could play a meaningful role in the Vikings' over/under win total. Marcus Davenport, who stayed relatively healthy last year, only generated 34 pressures and half a sack for the Saints last year.

Why Minnesota Could Hit The Over

Even if the Vikings wind up trading Danielle Hunter, new defensive coordinator Brian Flores is clearly one of the top minds on that side of the ball and he can find creative ways to generate pressure.

With a relatively favorable schedule, it's easy to see why we're expecting another strong season from this team in the Vikings' game-by-game predictions. Even when we account for brutal mid-season matchups with Kansas City and San Francisco and tough tests down the stretch against the Lions and Bengals, it's hard not to like the over for the Vikings' over-under win total.

Facing four very inexperienced starting quarterbacks (and two more that have been very inconsistent throwing the ball throughout their career) in the first nine weeks of the season also bodes well for a veteran team with strong leadership.

The continuity up front is also pivotal, as the Vikings return the same five starting offensive linemen from last season. Top slot receiver K.J. Osborn also had a productive third season with 60 catches for 650 yards and five scores, despite the arrival of tight end T.J. Hockenson, who hauled in 60 receptions for 519 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games with Minnesota after being shipped off in a rare mid-season trade between division rivals.

Hockenson's yards per catch rate plummeted from a remarkably high 15.2 mark in the first seven games with the Lions to a head-scratching 8.6 rate with the Vikings. With a full offseason to completely learn the offense and further build his chemistry with quarterback Kirk Cousins, we'd expect Hockenson to be more than just a reliable safety blanket in 2023.

Final Vikings Over/Under Prediction & Pick

With a talented and battle-tested roster and manageable schedule in an underwhelming division, the Vikings are well-equipped to overcome the obstacles on their schedule and return to the playoffs. It's a seemingly safe bet to take the over on the Vikings' over/under win total prediction.

Final Vikings Over/Under Pick & Prediction: Over 8.5 Wins: -142