The Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles both entered the year projected to finish as runners-up in their respective divisions. But with the injury to Dak Prescott and Minnesota’s upset win over Green Bay, both underdogs are now favored. They’ll have to play each other first, though — and the sportsbooks predict the Eagles will beat the Vikings on Monday Night Football. But with Philadelphia favored by just under a field goal in what should be a close matchup, the player prop betting odds may offer more value instead.
Philadelphia’s offense looked great last week, but so did Minnesota’s. Star receivers A.J. Brown and Justin Jefferson got off to hot starts for their respective teams. If Monday night’s game goes anything like the games each team played last Sunday, fans and bettors should expect plenty of scoring. Sportsbooks are predicting a total of 50.5 at the moment, the third-highest number of the week.
Vikings vs. Eagles Week 2 NFL Betting Picks & Predictions
Vikings vs. Eagles Betting Odds
Minnesota Blew Out Green Bay but Didn't Look Perfect
Minnesota looked fantastic in Week 1. Quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 71.8% of his passes and recorded 8.15 net yards per attempt (NY/A). Wide receiver Justin Jefferson caught nine of his 11 targets for 184 yards and two scores -- 46.5% of the team's total yards. Minnesota's ground game also looked good -- running backs Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison both averaged 4.5 yards per carry (YPC).
That said, the offensive line had room for improvement. Cousins faced pressure on 33.3% of his dropbacks. The Packers sacked him once, hurried him three times and hit him seven times -- all on just five blitzes. Minnesota's unit ranked 19th heading into the year, and rookie guard Ed Engram struggled in pass protection. Problems on the interior don't bode well for the unit's matchup against the Eagles, as Philadelphia boasts fantastic interior defensive linemen in Fletcher Cox and Jordan Davis.
Minnesota's defense stifled Green Bay's offense, but much of that falls on a lack of available players for the Packers. Both of Green Bay's starting tackles and their best wideout sat out. Minnesota pressured Aaron Rodgers on 28.9% of his dropbacks and racked up four sacks -- but on only eight blitzes. Rookie wide receiver Christian Watson dropped a touchdown on Green Bay's first play from scrimmage. Still, Green Bay racked up 338 total yards on 5.5 yards per play. Running backs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon combined for 94 yards rushing on 15 attempts and 73 yards receiving on eight receptions, so the Vikings may prove vulnerable to opposing backs moving forward.
Eagles Beat Up the Lions but Could've Lost Late
After a slow first quarter, Philadelphia's offense got rolling in the second and scored 17 points. Cornerback James Bradberry added another seven with a pick-six of Jared Goff. Quarterback Jalen Hurts didn't throw a touchdown pass last week, but he ran for a score, and three different Eagles rushers scored touchdowns as well. Hurts completed 56.3% of his passes for 7.24 NY/A and added 90 yards on the ground. He averaged 5.3 YPC in the process. New wideout A.J. Brown flashed his big-play upside with 10 receptions for 155 yards as well.
Philadelphia's offensive line performed well as a run-blocking unit but underperformed in pass protection. Three Eagles rushers averaged 4.0 YPC or better, and lead back Miles Sanders even averaged 7.4 YPC. That said, Hurts faced 17 blitzes and had to scramble 10 times. The Lions pressured him on 20.9% of his dropbacks, and Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah shut out DeVonta Smith.
Despite the success on offense, Philadelphia's defense underperformed. They allowed Detroit to rack up 386 yards on 5.8 yards per play -- and the Lions trailed by just a field goal late in the fourth quarter. Running back D'Andre Swift shredded the Eagles when Jordan Davis wasn't on the field, which was often -- Davis played the fewest snaps of Philadelphia's defensive tackles. Boundary receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and D.J. Chark reeled in a pair of touchdowns and 116 yards receiving as well. Furthermore, the pass rush pressured Jared Goff on only 12.8% of his dropbacks.
Vikings vs. Eagles Prediction
The Eagles should get off a few more passes on Monday Night Football. The Vikings blitzed only eight times in Week 1 and don't play as aggressively as Dan Campbell's Detroit Lions. Hurts likely won't have to scramble as much, but the books haven't jacked up his rushing yardage total enough to warrant buying the Under.
Instead, target DeVonta Smith to bounce back. Less pressure on Hurts should help him get his other wide receiver involved in the offense. Hurts and the Eagles tried to do that last weekend -- Smith still earned four targets and finished with 100% route participation -- but Okudah matched up well against him. In a close game script, look for Smith to find success against Minnesota's boundary cornerbacks, Cameron Dantzler and Patrick Peterson. The number for Smith's receiving yards sits between 42.5 and 45.5 across the player props market, so head to DraftKings for the best value.
Vikings vs. Eagles Prediction: DeVonta Smith Over 42.5 Receiving Yards (-115) at DraftKings
