Saints vs. Vikings: Updated Odds, Stat Predictions for 2018 NFC Divisional Game

The clash of strengths in Sunday's NFC divisional-round contest between the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings has the potential to produce the best game of the weekend in the NFL.

New Orleans enters with an impressive offense carried not by quarterback Drew Brees like it has in past years, but by running backs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram.

The Vikings have been a pleasant surprise on offense, with career backup Case Keenum thriving at quarterback, but Minnesota's real success story is its top-rated defense that will be hard for the Saints to break down.

It may be tough to make predictions about certain statistics for Sunday's game because of the incredible one-on-one matchups, but we tried to make a few.

Odds: Minnesota (-5); over/under: 46.5

Kamara Will Have 150 Total Yards

Not only is Kamara a threat on the ground, he's established himself as a viable asset out of the backfield in the passing game.

The rookie out of Tennessee recorded 826 receiving yards and 728 rushing yards, and he's expected to have a similar balance after struggling to get going on the ground in the wild-card round against the Carolina Panthers.

Kamara will help Brees deal with the pressure from the Minnesota front seven, and he'll be able to take advantage of the space just past the line of scrimmage due to an aggressive rush by the Vikings that will attempt to silence the Saints on the ground.

If Brees is able to pick up Minnesota's defensive scheme against the screen game early, it could open up success for Kamara, who has the speed to get past any of the Vikings linebackers in coverage.

Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Kamara may not go into triple digits in receiving yards since Brees is expected to pick out other targets like wide receiver Michael Thomas, and the rookie running back might not be able to hit the 100-yard mark on the ground, but his final numbers in both departments will combine for 150 yards or more.

The 22-year-old has only had two such games in his short professional career, but he's picked up over 100 total yards in seven contests since his team's October 22 win over the Green Bay Packers.

Achieving those numbers will be no easy task with the top defense in the NFL lining up across from Kamara, but thanks to Brees, he'll be able to find gaps in the Vikings defense and achieve early success.

Rudolph Will Have His 1st 100-Yard Receiving Game of the Season

With all the focus on Minnesota wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen and their matchup against the terrific young corners in the Saints secondary, Keenum will rely on a safety valve to have some success through the air.

Keenum will call on tight end Kyle Rudolph to produce his first 100-yard receiving game of the season as the quarterback looks to play it safe and avoid Saints defensive backs Marshon Lattimore and Ken Crawley.

Rudolph is coming off three of his worst statistical games of the season, as he totaled 26 yards on four receptions from Week 15 to 17.

But throughout most of the regular season, Keenum looked at the 28-year-old on plenty of occasions. The most targets he received in a single game was nine on two occasions against the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

The Notre Dame product hasn't experienced much success in the postseason before, as he has 66 yards on two catches in two playoff appearances, but that is about to change if the Vikings approach Sunday the right way.

The Saints aren't going to give Rudolph as much attention as they will to Diggs and Thielen, which could lead to a few open looks in the middle of the field.

Keenum will also try to get his confidence flowing by completing a few short passes to Rudolph, who will act as a safety valve in the passing game.

At 6'6", Rudolph can be an asset in the red zone as Keenum looks to find a reliable target that can create separation from a defender.

Rudolph should record triple digits in receiving yards and possibly add a touchdown as Keenum works into a rhythm, but it may not be enough to come away with a win.

Brees Will Record 2nd Straight 300-Yard Passing Game on Way to Victory

If nothing works for the Saints in the running game, like it did a week ago against Carolina, Brees should be able to win the game by himself through the air.

Brees has thrown for over 300 yards in seven of his 12 postseason games, including last Sunday's 376-yard showing against the Panthers.

Although some may debate how valuable he is to the Saints this year because of the growth in the running game, Brees is still the most reliable player on offense.

It's hard to believe Brees only had a pair of 300-yard passing games in the regular season, but he didn't have to do all the work to get the Saints into the postseason due to the output of the running backs.

Sean Gardner/Getty Images

However, the postseason is a different animal, and Brees is one of the most experienced players left on the eight teams vying to keep their respective seasons alive this weekend.

The performance from the 38-year-old quarterback on Sunday will more than make up for the last time he played the Vikings in the postseason, when he threw for his career-playoff low of 197 yards in the 2009 NFC Championship.

Look for at least 300 yards out of Brees as he picks apart the highly touted Minnesota defense by going to Kamara in the screen game and Thomas on deep routes as his main outlets.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com and Pro Football Reference.

Odds obtained from OddsShark.com.