The Las Vegas Raiders and Minnesota Vikings meet in the final game of NFL week 1 of the NFL preseason. We’re going to give all the info in this Raiders vs. Viking score prediction preview to help make your NFL betting picks as successful as possible.
The kickoff for the Las Vegas Raiders vs. Minnesota Vikings preseason debuts is scheduled for 4:25 P.M. EDT from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday, August 24th, 2022. You can catch the Las Vegas Raiders vs. Minnesota Vikings on NFL Network.
Matchup Preview
This is the official first NFL preseason game for the Raiders and Vikings; much like all NFL teams, the majority of the Week 1 starters will either play limited snaps or not at all in this game. Raiders vs. Vikings Score Prediction is tricky because of this, but not impossible.
Las Vegas will be looking to improve from their 2021 season, finishing second in the AFC West division with a record of 10-7, earning Las Vegas a Wild Card playoff appearance. The Raiders lost to eventual AFC Champions Cincinnati Bengals 26-19.
The Raiders have hit the field already this year, defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-11. Las Vegas offense was captained by former New England Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who followed Raiders Head Coach Josh McDaniels to Las Vegas to serve as Derrick Carr’s backup.
The Minnesota Vikings will be looking to improve on a disappointing 2021 NFL Season, finishing second in the NFC Central with a record of 8-9. The Vikings’ work to improve in 2021 truly begins with Week 1 of the regular season, but the competition for the final roster spots will be the Vikings’ focus during the early preseason.
Neither the Raiders or Vikings have any news-making NFL injuries to report that will affect how this game is played or the result.
Raiders vs. Vikings Odds Breakdown
At the time of publication, the Las Vegas Raiders are the favorite on NFL betting odds, listed between -135 to -189. The Minnesota Vikings are the underdog, listed between +115 to +155. With such a wide spread of odds available, there are many options available to maximize the potential return from your NFL betting picks.
The same kind of spread in odds is not found on the total points lines. The Raiders vs. Vikings total points are set at 34. Both the over and under are listed at -110. Adding total points in this preseason game to your betting slip is only advisable as part of a parlay.
The NFL betting odds on the point spread – set at 3.5 – for the Raiders vs. Vikings look very similar to the total points: -110 odds regardless of your pick. The Raiders are the favorite (-3.5), while the Vikings are the underdog (+3.5). With no real NFL Standings or statistics to review, who to pick on the point spread
Raiders vs. Vikings Betting Preview
Raiders Preview
Las Vegas backup quarterback Jarett Stidham is likely to get the bulk of the snaps in this game, much like the Hall of Fame game. Stidham was 8/15 for 96 yards, with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Las Vegas starting quarterback Derrick Carr is unlikely to see much action (if any) on Sunday, meaning Stidham is likely to get the majority of the work in this game.
The same can be said for the Las Vegas Raiders at running backs. Starter Josh Jacobs is unlikely to make many rushing attempts against the Vikings, leaving backup Zamir White with the bulk of the work. This was the situation for the Raiders in the Hall of Fame game: Jacobs made only five rushing attempts, gaining 30 total yards, while White made 11 rushing attempts for 52 yards.
Vikings Preview
As of publication, The Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback Kirk Cousins is listed as questionable after being sent home for not feeling well on August 11th. Cousins is listed as the probable starter for Sunday’s matchup against the Raiders. Unofficially, the Vikings have Sean Mannion or Kellen Mond listed as Cousin’s backup.
It’s also highly likely that Cousins’ biggest offensive weapons will see little time in this game, leaving Mannion or Mond with fewer offensive threats to lean on. Don’t expect running back Dalvin Cook or wide receiver Adam Thielen to make an impact in this game. Tight end Irv Smith Jr. is listed as questionable alongside Cousins, making them the only Vikings (starter or second-string) questionable for Sunday’s game.
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Minnesota Vikings Pick and Prediction
The Las Vegas Raiders should defeat the Minnesota Vikings, preseason or not. The Raider’s second-string players have already hit the field and won (albeit in the Hall of Fame game) in 2022, scoring 27 points. They’ll likely do the same on Sunday and cover the point spread in the process.
Final Score Prediction: Las Vegas Raiders 30 – Minnesota Vikings 20
Pick: Pick the Las Vegas Raiders to win and cover the spread.
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