Both teams started the season off with wins which makes this NFC showdown between the Minnesota Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles all the more interesting.
While the final score of the Eagles game was close, the game was never really in doubt. The same can be said for the Vikings although the final score wasn’t close at all.
Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Monday, September 19, 2022 – 08:30 PM EDT at Lincoln Financial Field
Spread and Total for This Game
This game opened at Eagles -2.5 with the total at 47.5. Sharp action on the Viking has seen the line move a full point to Eagles -1.5 at most of the best online sportsbooks.
The total has seen a ton of early steam with most of the action coming on the Under. Now it sits at 51.5 with a few 52s available depending on where you shop.
Vikings Looked Solid Game From Start to Finish
Most of the focus this week after Minnesota’s Week 1 will be on how bad the Packers looked. That’s unfair to the Vikings because they played well on almost all levels in this contest.
Let’s start with the performance of third-year wide receiver Justin Jefferson. If there’s an MVP of Week 1, it has to be him based on that performance. The Packers’ defense is a talented group but Jefferson simply looked like a man among boys.
Then there’s the often maligned Kirk Cousins who was the best version of himself. Where Minnesota really won the game is with their front seven who played great football.
The weak link of their defense is their pass coverage but they make up for that with a decent pass rush and an excellent run defense. This group of linebackers is up there with the best in the league and that was on full display in Week 1.
Eagles’ Offense Put Up Big Numbers
If Justin Jefferson was the MVP of Week 1, A.J Brown has to at least get an honorable mention. The Eagles’ game plan was obvious: feed Brown early and often, and it worked.
In terms of talent, Brown is up there with the league’s best, he just needs to do it on a more consistent basis. We already know what Brown is capable of so for Eagles fans, the most encouraging performance in Week 1 came from Jalen Hurts.
Much like Brown, the talent is obvious for Hurts. What he needs is more consistency and after a full season last year as a starter under his belt, this could be the year he takes his game to another level in his career. There should be some caution here as Hurts looked great in Week 1 last year but was never able to reproduce that type of performance for the rest of the season.
Vikings vs. Eagles: Betting Pick and Prediction
Things to Consider
My initial lean was to the Over but most of the value is gone there with all the steam the line has caught at the NFL odds early in the week.
In terms of picking a side, this game is more of a coin flip which would lead me to take the points although the line has moved in the wrong direction there too.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a handicapper is overreacting to what happens in Week 1. The perfect example of that is the team Minnesota beat in their first game. Last season, the Packers looked almost as bad in Week 1 as they did against the Vikings this season. They went on to win 13 games last year.
Our NFL Pick
My biggest takeaway in Week 1 for these two teams is the offensive lines, which is why I’m laying the points with the Eagles for my NFL picks.
Let’s start with Philadelphia who might have the best o-line in the NFL. If Jalen Hurts has time to throw, Brown will get open against this Vikings secondary that’s one of the worst in the league.
On the flip side, the Vikings’ offensive line isn’t great while the Eagles’ pass rush is legit. Although Cousins was only sacked once, he was under pressure 19 times compared to 11 for Aaron Rodgers.
Remember, this game wasn’t even close, with the Vikings leading 20-0 halfway through the third quarter. You have to imagine in a close game, they’ll give up more pressure than that and this Eagles defense will get at Cousins.
NFL Pick: Eagles -1.5 (-110) at BetMGM
