That said, I had read online that no NFL team has ever crossed two time zones (the Viqueens fit this category) coming from east to west for Thursday Night football and won (0-10). I hope that this trend doesn't end in LA this week.
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...-underdogs-hope-to-end-nfls-odd-thursday-hex/
by John Breech
Although we've heard plenty of NFL players complain about
Thursday Night Football over
the past few years, what they really should be complaining about is any Thursday game where they have to fly more than two times zones to the west.
Now, that might not sound like much, but apparently, that's the difference between a win and loss in the
NFL. The reason we're bringing that up this week is because the
Vikings are about to become the 11th team to make a two time zone trip out west since the return of
Thursday Night Football in 2006.
The bad news for the Vikings is that if the past is any indication, they're a lock to lose this week, and here's why:
No team flying from the Central time zone to the Pacific time zone for a Thursday game has ever won or covered a game over the past 12 years.
The same rule applies for teams flying from the Eastern time zone to the Mountain or Pacific time zone (Remember, you have to fly at least two time zones west). Since 2006, this has happened a total of 10 times and the Central/Eastern time zone team has gone 0-10 both straight-up and ATS.
Basically, teams are already on a short week and flying 4-6 hours across the country doesn't help things. Here's a quick look at the 10 games that have been played over the past 12 years:
Week 10, 2009:
49ers 10-6 over
Bears (+3)
Week 12, 2009:
Broncos 26-6 over
Giants (-4.5)
Week 11, 2011: Broncos 17-13 over
Jets (-6.5)
Week 13, 2011:
Seahawks 31-14 over
Eagles (-3)
Week 9, 2012:
Chargers 31-13 over
Chiefs (+7)
Week 1, 2013: Broncos 49-27 over
Ravens (+7.5)
Week 1, 2014: Seahawks 36-16 over
Packers (+8.5)
Week 12, 2014:
Raiders 24-20 over Chiefs (-7.5)
Week 1, 2016: Broncos 21-20 over
Panthers (-3)
Week 7, 2017: Raiders 31-30 over Chiefs (-3)
That's 10 games and 10 losers for the Eastern or Central time zone.
Does all of this mean the Vikings are going to lose? Not necessarily, but it might help explain why the Vikings opened as a seven-point underdog, one of the biggest point spreads the team has ever faced under Mike Zimmer. Since 2014, the Vikings have been an underdog of seven or more points a total of seven times, and although they've gone 0-7 in those games, they've gone 4-3 against the spread (ATS).
