Super Bowl 55 odds: Ravens improve title chances in trade for Yannick Ngakoue from tanking Vikings
The NFL Trade Deadline is 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 3, buy we have had our first major deal in the league. In stunning news, the Minnesota Vikings have sent former Pro Bowl defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to the Baltimore Ravens for a pair of draft picks. Yes, the same Yannick Ngakoue whom the Vikings acquired for a pair of draft picks on the eve of the season from Jacksonville. It sure seems now that Minnesota is tanking the rest of the 2020 campaign, while Baltimore's excellent defense just got better.
Ngakoue wanted out of Jacksonville so badly that at the end of August he agreed to a pay cut from $17.8 million to $12 million for this year to finalize a trade to Minnesota. The Vikings gave up a 2021 second-round pick and 2022 conditional fifth-round pick. What did Minnesota get in return Thursday? A 2021 third-round pick and 2022 conditional fifth rounder.
The Vikings take on a $6.8 million dead cap hit this season for six weeks of Ngakoue, who brings a remaining $5.17 million base salary with him to Baltimore. Ngakoue, a 2017 Pro Bowler with the Jags, is the clear winner here. He goes from a 1-5 last-place Vikings squad to a 5-1 Super Bowl contender in the Ravens. William Hill sportsbook lists Baltimore as the +600 second-favorite to win Super Bowl 55.
In addition, the 25-year-old Ngakoue grew up in Bowie, Md. and played college football at the University of Maryland so he's headed home. The Vikings' defense has been one of the NFL's worst this season, but Ngakoue led the team with five sacks, two forced fumbles and seven tackles for loss. He is one of five players in the NFL with at least five sacks and two forced fumbles this season. Baltimore is tied for second in sacks with 22.
In another interesting twist, both Baltimore and Minnesota are on the bye in Week 7 (they don't play one another in 2020). Ngakoue should debut in a huge Week 8 game vs. Pittsburgh. The Ravens can now pair Ngakoue opposite fellow defensive end Calais Campbell. Both started the AFC Championship Game following the 2017 season with the Jaguars.
While the Vikings brass will say this has nothing to do with tanking in an effort to potentially land the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2021 and the chance to select Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence, there's no other way to read it. Minnesota isn't getting that top pick, either – the sorry winless Jets are.
Two big winners of this trade? Chicago and Detroit. Both still play the Vikings twice and those games just got a little easier. The Lions probably aren't a playoff threat, but the 5-1 Bears sure are. They are -230 to make the postseason at William Hill and +190 to miss.
Via SportsLine NFL oddsmakers: How many regular-season games will the Ravens win? (Below is updated SportsLine Projection Model)
- Over 12.5: -130
- Under 12.5: Even
| BALTIMORE | WIN | WIN% | DIV | PLAYOFF | CONF | CHAMP |
| Before Trade | 12.4 | 77.50% | 48.70% | 99.90% | 30.00% | 19.70% |
| w/ Ngakoue | 12.5 | 78.10% | 49.30% | 99.90% | 31.40% | 20.90% |
| Difference | 0.1 | 0.60% | 0.60% | 0.00% | 1.40% | 1.20% |
So which teams should you back in Week 7 of the 2020 NFL season? And which Super Bowl contender goes down HARD? ... Join SportsLine right now to see who wins and covers every single NFL game this week, plus get the exact final score, all from the acclaimed model that has returned over $7,300 on its top-rated NFL picks!
Share This Story