Minnesota Vikings vs. Arizona Cardinals Betting Preview
The Vikings are coming off a tough Week 1 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Cardinals were victorious on Sunday when they dominated the Tennessee Titans with a 25-point victory.
Minnesota has to Stop the Run
The Vikings struggled to get Joe Mixon down all day. The running back ran for 127 yards and scored a touchdown Sunday on 29 carries. While Joe Mixon is a very talented back, he is just a single runner, whereas the Cardinals will have multiple backs coming at the Vikings this Sunday.
The good news for the Vikings is Kirk Cousins played well under center for them. Cousins completed 36 of 49 passes for 351 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception.
Cousins spread the love the whole game with seven different receivers having multiple receptions. Adam Thielen led the team in targets, receptions, and yards, with 10 targets, nine receptions, and 92 yards.
Besides the defense’s inability to stop the run, the biggest concern for the Vikings would be the production from their star running back, Dalvin Cook. In 20 total rushing attempts, Cook was only able to accrue 61 yards and found the endzone once. He was able to salvage his day with six receptions for just over 40 yards.
Keeping the Momentum for Arizona
The Cardinals seemed like they good do no wrong on Sunday. Everything was click for Coach Kingsbury and the Cardinals team.
Offensively they were dominant in every facet of the game. Defensively, they never allowed the Titans to get going and kept one of the league’s top running backs in check all day.
Quarterback Kyler Murray is in his third year as the starter for the Cardinals, and expectations are at an all-time high as the team has given him all of the weapons to be successful. He rose to the occasion Sunday, completing 21 of 32 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns while only throwing a single interception. All five of his receivers had multiple catches as well.
The story of this game was the play by linebacker Chandler Jones. In a single game, Jones was able to record five solo sacks. This number puts him into the top ten for sacks in a single game. The rest of the defense was also impressive, keeping Derrick Henry to just 58 yards rushing.
Vikings vs Cardinals Picks
The Cardinals are currently -3½ with the points total set at 51.
The Vikings were unable to cover the spread in their first game so they are currently 0-1 against the spread this season. They were 4-4 against the spread on the road last season.
This will be Arizona’s home opener for 2021. Last season they struggled against the spread while playing at home with a record of 3-5 against the spread. This running attack looks much better allowing Murray to execute throws.
The Vikings defense will have their hands full against this potent offense for the Cardinals. If Arizona’s defense plays even close to how they did Sunday, this should be a big win for Arizona.
