The Minnesota Vikings rediscovered their passing game last week and finally looked like a complete offense. Are the Vikings a smart bet at home this Sunday, however, against a Philadelphia Eagles squad that’s playing strong football?
- Philadelphia Eagles vs Minnesota Vikings (Matchup Report)
- Date/Time: October 13, 1 p.m. ET
- TV Coverage: FOX
- Sportsbook Odds: Minnesota -3 | O/U 44 (Line History)
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Vikings are 2-0 at home this season, winning both games convincingly, so it’s no surprise they opened as 3-point favorites. The total started at 44, as both offenses have now shown an ability to move the chains and put up points, but the early action has been on the UNDER, as the total shifted to 43.5.
Philadelphia News & Notes
The final score looks nice – a 31-6 demolition of the Jets last week – but this win wasn’t so much about the offense as it was the defensive unit.
The Eagles scored two defensive touchdowns and logged 10 sacks on the day, the first team in NFL history to achieve both feats in one game. They held the Jets to 128 total yards on the day; it was a needed performance in a game in which quarterback Carson Wentz threw for just 189 yards, while the Eagles only ran for 84 yards as a team on the day.
The Eagles are 1-9-1 ATS in their last 11 early afternoon games. While the offense wasn’t needed to cover the spread in last week’s 1 p.m. game, they will need a much stronger performance this Sunday against a Vikings defense that’s allowed more than 20 points just once in its first five games.
Minnesota News & Notes
It turns out all Kirk Cousins needed was a, well, assertive pep talk from his teammate. A week after wide receiver Adam Thielen put the offense on blast for struggling in the passing game and being too one-dimensional, Cousins came out last week against the Giants and went 19-for-23 for 278 yards and a touchdown in the first half.
Thielen finished with 130 receiving yards and a score in a 28-10 victory. Perhaps every more impressive is the Vikings still finished with 34 rushing attempts for 211 yards, showing the effectiveness of offensive balance.
Despite their dominant Week 5, the Eagles defense has still allowed the fourth-most passing yards in the league, while they are the NFL’s second-best rushing defense. Look for Minnesota to again ride that balance and newly rediscovered passing game to victory, extending a streak of going 8-1 ATS in its last nine games as a favorite.
Betting Pick: Vikings -3
They’re at home, their defense is as stifling as ever and the offense seems to be clicking. The spread isn’t big and it seems perfect for the home Vikings to cover.
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the Eagles’ last 5 road games (avg. combined score: 38.8).
- The Vikings are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games in the early afternoon.
- The total has gone UNDER in 10 of the Vikings’ last 14 home games (avg. combined score: 41.36).
