NFL Betting Lines: Denver Broncos vs. Minnesota Vikings

The legend of Tim Tebow grows by the week. He’s already a folklore hero in Florida and now he’s putting his print in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.

Denver is now 5-1 since Tebow took over as the starting quarterback. The fourth straight victory came in Week 12 at San Diego. The Broncos won 16-13 in overtime and covered the NFL betting lines as 4.5-point underdogs.

If you weren’t a believer when Tebowmania started then you should be by now. And if you still aren’t then you’re in denial because this kid is, and always will be, a winner.

Tebow put together another pedestrian but turnover-free performance Sunday afternoon. He completed half of his 18 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 67 yards.

This offense isn’t designed to be pretty. It’s built around ball control and field position. The Donkeys ran for 208 yards Sunday and are averaging more than 200 per outing since Tebow entered the starting lineup.

We love what Saint Tebow has done but the biggest catalyst during the win streak has been the defense. The aggressive front seven that includes Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller has produced 10 sacks and 23 quarterback hits over the last three weeks. Philip Rivers was under constant pressure Sunday and only managed 188 yards through the air.

Denver doesn’t want to pass much, but maybe it should in this matchup because the Vikings’ secondary is beyond maligned.

Matt Ryan torched Minnesota’s back half to the tune of 262 yard and three scores. He only misfired on seven of his 34 pass attempts during the Falcons 24-14 win. The final margin pushed the 10-point NFL lines.

Antoine Winfield is on injured reserve with a broken clavicle. Fellow corner Chris Cook is still suspended. Safety Husain Abdullah did not play in Week 12 and his replacement had to leave with because of an injury. Asher Allen, who took Winfield’s spot in the starting lineup, also left with an injury.

The struggles against the pass are well documented but we saw an offensive drop off without Adrian Peterson in the lineup. The Vikings only mustered 226 yards and were 4 of 13 on third down against Atlanta.

With AP sidelined, Will Musgrave must get creative with the offense. Christian Ponder needs to be let loose and Percy Harvin needs more touches.

We don’t know if Peterson will return from his high ankle sprain this week. And that’s why the game is currently off the board. Our guess is that Minnesota brass will be extremely cautious with their franchise player, which means he probably will sit out another week.

"We don't want to put him at risk," Leslie Frazier said. "You know how valuable he is to our team and our franchise.”