Best Bets: Vikings at Eagles (Open Thread)

While Bears fans were dealing with their own misery this week, it may have escaped your notice that the Minnesota Vikings dropped a home game against Baker Mayfield the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. You remember the Vikings, the team that won thirteen games a year ago with an unsustainable record in one-score games. Well, regression popped up early for them in Week 1 and let’s hope that trend continues throughout the year.

The problem for the Vikings this week is that they may not even be able to keep it to a one score game as they travel east on a short week to take on the Philadelphia Eagles. Last year’s NFC champions knocked off the Patriots on the road to kick off the year in a close game against an elite defense. The Eagles expect to make another deep run in the playoffs while the Vikings are trying the competitive rebuild. That difference is reflected in the line of just a hair under a TD. I captured the line at -6 for the Eagles but it has moved around somewhat since I locked in my pick.

The Eagles still have one of the most talented rosters in the league and can beat you in many different ways. This is largely the same team that carried a lead into the 3rd quarter of the Super Bowl last year coming home for their opener. Interestingly enough, the Eagles beat the Vikings 24-7 in Week 2 last season. So, while the line is a big number for two teams that made the playoffs last year, I’m not shying away from the Eagles taking care of business here on pure roster talent alone.

As for the total, Thursday Night Football can always be tricky with the short week and some potential sloppiness. My preference early on is to favor the under, and although both offenses have the capacity to put up a lot of points, I’m sticking with a game script similar to last year’s contest between the two squads. The Eagles defense is legit too.

Picks: Eagles -6, Under 49

(Numbers courtesy of our partners at DraftKings Sportsbooks)

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