The Minnesota Vikings are in Seattle this weekend to take on the Seahawks for Sunday Night Football. The game will be broadcast on NBC, and kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 P.M. Eastern.
The spread opened at Seattle (-9) but has since shrunk to (-7); the over/under also shrank from 58 to 56.5 or 57, depending on which book you use. Currently, the Vikings are getting 58% of the money on the spread, while Seattle is receiving 91% of the money on the moneyline.
The Vikings’ New Weapon
The Vikings recorded their first win of the 2020 season last week against the Houston Texans on the road. They now sit at 1-3. Their reward is traveling to the west coast to play in one of the most hostile environments in the NFL.
Over the last two weeks, Kirk Cousins has discovered Stefon Diggs’ replacement in rookie wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Jefferson, a 6’1 rookie out of LSU, has been targeted 14 times in the Vikings’ last two games, hauling in 11 catches for 278 yards and a touchdown. He should be in line for another big game against a Seattle secondary that is currently giving up 401 yards per game through the air.
Vikings’ stalwart Adam Thielen is on the injury report this week with a shoulder injury, but after being a limited participant on Wednesday, he was a full participant on Thursday and is expected to play. Linebacker Eric Kendricks is also likely to play after not practicing this week; he is currently listed as probable.
The Vikings are 1-4 straight up in their last five games and 0-6 in their previous six games against the Seahawks. Minnesota is 2-2 ATS on the season, and the total has gone over three times in their four games.
Adams’ Injury is Going to Hurt
Safety Jamal Adams is out for this weekend’s game, which makes a lousy secondary even worse. Adams is also the Seahawks’ most effective pass rusher, so the Seattle defense could be in for a long even on Sunday.
On the offensive side of the ball, the injury front isn’t great either. Left guard Mike Iupati is currently questionable for the game. Iupati was a limited participant in practice this week after leaving last week’s game with knee and back trouble.
Despite all of the injuries (more than 25 players listed on the Injury Report this week) and the passing yards surrendered, the Seahawks boast a 4-0 record. Most of that credit is due to the arm of MVP frontrunner Russell Wilson and the hands of Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. Wilson currently has a 75% completion rate with 16 touchdowns through the air against just two interceptions.
The Seahawks are 5-1, both against the spread and straight up, in their last six games. The total has gone over in three of their four games this season.
My Pick
In games that start after 7:00 PM, Kirk Cousins is 7-15 for his career, but he has 40 touchdowns against 18 interceptions in those games. He plays fine individually in primetime games, but his team doesn’t win them.
The Vikings have not beaten Seattle since 2009 and haven’t won at Seattle since 2006. The Seahawks’ defense is bad enough to allow the Vikings to cover the over/under, but the Seahawks will win the game. I would have played the over at 58, so I am certainly playing it at 56.5.
