Minnesota Vikings

NFL Over/Unders 2012

Over/Under: 5.5 Wins

Raanan's Read: Under. The Vikings are a year away from being a much better team. In the meantime, it will be another learning experience for second-year quarterback Christian Ponder. (AP Photo/Genevieve Ross)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

More from this Slideshow

0 of 0

The Over/Under R... By Jordan Raanan, XFINITY Sports
NFL Columnist

Prognostication is a tough business. But I'm not scared (completely). I'm ready to give it another go-around with the 2012 NFL over/unders.

Last season, I was a respectable 16-16. Not bad. Good enough to keep my job.

This year I'm guaranteeing—you know, one of those Rex Ryan guarantees where if I don't come through I'll just lose a ton of weight instead to distract your attention—a winning record. I've studied and dissected every team, every player. I've pored through the schedules. I've noticed trends and developed theories. And after all the hard work, this is the brilliance I've come up with.

Winning record here I come. Book it. (AP Photos)

(Over/Unders courtesy of Bovada)

Jordan Raanan has covered the NFL since 2005. Follow him on Twitter @JordanRaanan or email him at jraanan@hotmail.com.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Arizona Cardinal... Over/Under: 7 Wins

Raanan's Read: Under. You just don't go .500 without a real starting quarterback. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Atlanta Falcons Over/Under: 9 Wins

Raanan's Read: Over. This is Matt Ryan's year… as long as his offensive line holds up. Atlanta's a playoff team on the strength of its passing game. I know, it sounds weird. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Baltimore Ravens Over/Under: 10 Wins

Raanan's Read: Over. This may just be the most well-rounded Ravens team of the 21st century. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Buffalo Bills Over/Under: 8 Wins

Raanan's Read: Over. The Bills finally have a defense, and a winning season. (AP Photo/Doug Benz)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Carolina Panther... Over/Under: 7.5 Wins

Raanan's Read: Under. The Panthers just aren't there yet, especially on the defensive side of the ball. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Chicago Bears Over/Under: 9.5 Wins

Raanan's Read: Under. Chicago's offensive weapons have improved, but their offensive line is still troublesome. The Bears' defense is also on the decline. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Cincinnati Benga... Over/Under: 8 Wins

Raanan's Read: Over. Cincy is building a nice team. It is solid in all three phases of the game. (AP Photo/John Grieshop)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Cleveland Browns Over/Under: 5 Wins

Raanan's Read: Under. With the injuries and suspensions the Browns face early in the season, combined with a rookie starting quarterback and running back, it's hard to see the Browns winning much this year. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Dallas Cowboys Over/Under: 8.5 Wins

Raanan's Read: Under. There’s too much drama and too many preseason injuries for the Cowboys to overcome. (AP Photo/Sharon Ellman)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Denver Broncos Over/Under: 9 Wins

Raanan's Read: Over. This is totally contingent on Peyton Manning being Peyton Manning. Someone obviously has faith in Peyton. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Detroit Lions Over/Under: 9 Wins

Raanan's Read: Over. Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson. Those are two big reasons. Continuity on the defensive side of the ball—10 starters return—also helps. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Green Bay Packer... Over/Under: 12 Wins

Raanan's Read: Over. The Packers defense—by default—has to be better this year. And they won 15 regular-season games last season. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Houston Texans Over/Under: 10 Wins

Raanan's Read: Over. In a bad division, the Texans are head and shoulders above the competition. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Indianapolis Col... Over/Under: 5 Wins

Raanan's Read: Under. Andrew Luck will make the Colts' offense respectable. It's Indy's defense that will make it almost impossible to win games. (AP Photo/Richard Lipski)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Jacksonville Jag... Over/Under: 5 Wins

Raanan's Read: Under. The Jags are thin on talent with Maurice Jones-Drew. They're scary bad without MJD. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Kansas City Chie... Over/Under: 8 Wins

Raanan's Read: Over. All the Chiefs need is decent play from quarterback Matt Cassel and some of the handful of stars who missed last season with injuries. Kansas City's roster is talented. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Miami Dolphins Over/Under: 7 Wins

Raanan's Read: Under. Rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill has been thrown into an almost impossible situation: a newbie working with limited weapons. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Minnesota Viking... Over/Under: 5.5 Wins

Raanan's Read: Under. The Vikings are a year away from being a much better team. In the meantime, it will be another learning experience for second-year quarterback Christian Ponder. (AP Photo/Genevieve Ross)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
New England Patr... Over/Under: 12 Wins

Raanan's Read: Under. Twelve is a big number, even for Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. New England's offensive line is a weakness this season. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
New Orleans Sain... Over/Under: 10 Wins

Raanan's Read: Under. There are too many obstacles—like their head coach being suspended for the season—for the Saints to overcome. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
New York Giants Over/Under: 9 Wins

Raanan's Read: Over. New York’s defense should be improved and their quarterback is elite. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
New York Jets Over/Under: 8.5 Wins

Raanan's Read: Under. The Jets’ offense, with or without Tim Tebow, is terrible. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Oakland Raiders Over/Under: 7 Wins

Raanan's Read: Under. New coach Dennis Allen and GM Reggie McKenzie need at least another year (and some salary cap flexibility) before they get the right personnel in place defensively.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Philadelphia Eag... Over/Under: 10.5 Wins

Raanan's Read: Over. Everything went wrong for the Eagles and Michael Vick last season. It's not going to happen again this year. Philadelphia has too many offensive weapons not to succeed. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Pittsburgh Steel... Over/Under: 10 Wins

Raanan's Read: Over. The Steelers still have one of the league's best defenses. They’ll clear 10 wins. (AP Photo/Gary Wiepert)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
San Diego Charge... Over/Under: 9 Wins

Raanan's Read: Under. Philip Rivers just doesn't have enough weapons to work with this season. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
San Francisco 49... Over/Under: 10 Wins

Raanan's Read: Under. San Francisco's defense will be just as dominant as last season. Its offense and special teams will come back to reality. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Seattle Seahawks Over/Under: 7 Wins

Raanan's Read: Over. Even with a rookie quarterback, Seattle gets at least eight wins. The Seahawks will lean on Marshawn Lynch and an improving defense. (AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
St. Louis Rams Over/Under: 6 Wins

Raanan's Read: Under. Who exactly is quarterback Sam Bradford throwing the ball to again? It's not pretty. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Tampa Bay Buccan... Over/Under: 6 Wins

Raanan's Read: Over. The Bucs with free agent acquisitions Vincent Jackson and Carl Nicks, and first-round draft pick Doug Martin, are greatly improved on the offensive side of the ball. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Tennessee Titans Over/Under: 7 Wins

Raanan's Read: Over. Quarterback Jake Locker exceeds all expectations. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Washington Redsk... Over/Under: 6.5 Wins

Raanan's Read: Over. Washington's defense has been solid for years. RG3 finally gives them an explosive player on offense and gets the Redskins to .500. (AP Photo/Richard Lipski)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.