Jets vs. Vikings NFL Week 13 odds, trends: Sauce Gardner vs. Justin Jefferson, and Minnesota can tie record by clinching NFC North

It's that time of year where the term "NFL playoff scenarios" is trending, and the Minnesota Vikings could be the first to punch their ticket to the postseason. The Vikings would clinch their first NFC North title since 2017 on Sunday with a home win over the New York Jets and a Detroit Lions home loss (or tie) to Jacksonville. If both happen, Minnesota would tie an NFL record.

This statistic is a bit misleading because now there are 18 weeks in the regular season instead of 17, but the Vikings clinching a division title with five weeks to play would equal the earliest clinch in the Super Bowl era with the 1973 Vikings, legendary 1985 Bears, 1997 49ers, 2004 Eagles, unbeaten 2007 Patriots and 2009 Colts. Minnesota also would clinch with a tie if Detroit loses.

At 9-2, the Vikings have the second-best record in the NFC (and a five-game lead in the division) but would lose a head-to-head tiebreaker with 10-1 Philadelphia as the Eagles beat the Vikings 24-7 in Week 2. To be the NFC's top seed, Philly is -330 with Dallas (also owns a head-to-head tiebreaker over Minnesota) at +550 and the Vikings at +600.

A win Sunday also would reward Vikings Over win total bettors as they were set at O/U 9 entering the year. Kevin O'Connell is the first NFL head coach to start his career 9-2 or better since Jim Harbaugh did so in 2011.

There's no question the top individual matchup for this game will be stellar Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson against Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, the -330 favorite to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Jefferson is No. 2 in the league in receiving yards at 1,232 but is the -120 favorite to win that title. Last week, Jefferson broke Randy Moss' NFL record for most receiving yards in the first three seasons of a career.

Gardner, the No. 4 overall pick out of Cincinnati, has the highest Pro Football Focus coverage grade in the NFL this season (88.9). He also leads in completion percentage against (41%) and pass breakups (12).

The fourth quarter also could be interesting, as the Jets have allowed the fewest points (33) in the fourth this season and Minnesota has scored the most (93).

Get more out of your SportsLine subscription! 

• Picks: NFL | NBA | CFB | CBB
• DFS: Lineup Optimizer | Picks
• Early Edge: YouTube | Apple Podcasts
• Newsletters: SportsLine Daily | Fantasy

Qualifying SportsLine members receive a 30-day free trial of Paramount+ premium. Sync your account right here.