Vikings at Eagles Preview

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Zach Beier & Chubbs Scheffler
September 13, 2023

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Developing Stories 📰

The Thursday evening football game features the Minnesota Vikings facing off against the Philadelphia Eagles. In the 2022 season, the Vikings posted a 13-4 record but suffered an early exit in the playoffs against the Giants. Meanwhile, the Eagles concluded their season at 14-3, securing the NFC title before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Expectations are running high for both teams as they enter the 2023 season. Kickoff for this Thursday night matchup is scheduled for 8:15 PM EST.

For the second consecutive season, the Vikings find themselves heading to Philadelphia for a prime-time game in the second week. Last year, they arrived with a 1-0 record following an impressive victory over the Green Bay Packers. This time, their journey to Philadelphia follows 20-17 home defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The loss was particularly alarming given its narrow margin. In 2022, the Vikings excelled in one-score games, boasting a perfect 11-0 record. However, in their first closely contested match of this season, they couldn't secure the win.

Offensively, the Vikings heavily relied on their passing game, gaining only 41 rushing yards on 17 carries, averaging a mere 2.4 yards per attempt. Quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 328 yards, completing 33 of 44 passes with two touchdowns, but also suffering one interception. Justin Jefferson, an All-Pro wideout, had a notable performance with nine receptions for 150 yards. T.J. Hockenson, who signed a long-term deal just before the season, contributed with eight catches for 35 yards, although it was in a losing effort. The Vikings' offense struggled with turnovers, committing three in the game, all attributed to Cousins, who fumbled twice and threw an interception.

Defensively, the Vikings allowed a total of 242 yards, with just 168 yards through the air. They managed to limit the Buccaneers to only nine first downs. However, the Vikings' defense failed to create any turnovers on that day, recording only one sack and two tackles for loss against a lackluster Buccaneers' offense. Camryn Bynum led the Vikings defensively with 10 tackles during the game.

Looking ahead to their next matchup with the Eagles, the Vikings' defense will need to focus on generating turnovers to secure a road victory. In 2022, their defensive performance ranked 31st in the league, with a particularly poor showing against the pass, ranking 31st as well. While their pass defense showed improvement against the Buccaneers, the Eagles' passing attack is expected to pose a greater challenge.

The Philadelphia Eagles didn't have an easy time in week one against New England, but they managed to secure a 25-20 victory, starting their season at 1-0. The Eagles seized the initiative, scoring the game's first 16 points, largely due to New England's consecutive turnovers. They held on for the win, stopping New England on downs inside the 30-yard line in the final minute. The win wasn't without its flaws, as the defending NFC champions adapt to new offensive and defensive coordinators.

Offensively, the Eagles gained a total of 251 yards in the game, with just 154 passing yards and 97 rushing yards against a formidable New England defense. Quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 22 of 33 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown but faced three sacks. Hurts also contributed nine carries for 37 yards on the ground. Kenneth Gainwell led the rushing attack with 14 carries for 54 yards, while newcomer D'Andre Swift had one carry for three yards. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, the starting wide receivers, each caught seven passes, although they were limited to 79 and 47 yards, respectively. Smith did manage to secure a touchdown reception in the win.

On the defensive front, the Eagles forced two turnovers, with cornerback Darius Slay's 70-yard pick-six in the first quarter significantly impacting the game. Overall, the Eagles' defense recorded two sacks, five tackles for loss, pressured the quarterback ten times, and delivered seven quarterback hits. Although New England gained 382 total yards of offense, only 76 came from rushing.

In the 2022 season, the Eagles ranked first in the league in total defense, boasting the league's top secondary and a deep roster of defensive linemen. The return of cornerback Darius Slay had an immediate impact, evident from his pick-six interception. While the Eagles excelled against the run, ranking fourth in 2022, they faced challenges containing the Patriots' passing attack, which had struggled in the previous season.

Headlines 🚨

On This Day in Sport History:

1971 Frank Robison hits his 500th homerun,

1983 Oaklands Rickey Henderson 3rd straight 100 steals season,

2010 Rafael Nadal wins his first US Open beating Djokovic 6-4,5-7, 6-4, 6-2

The NFL Players Association new executive director has called for the league to change all its fields to natural grass after the Aaron Rodgers season-ending injury.

Former wide receiver Mike Williams has passed away at 36, Williams was hospitalized after an accident at a construction site.

Pittsburgh Steelers WR Diontae Johnson expected to miss a few weeks due to a hamstring injury.

Ohio State Coach Ryan Day announced Kyle McCord will be the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season.

The Nationals have agreed to a multiyear contract exptenion with president and GM Mike Rizzo which allows him to rebuild the team.

Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic each moved up one spot to claim the No. 1 in the world rankings.

Trends 📈📉 via Oddsshark

⚾️ Rays at Twins

  • Tampa Bay is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games

  • Tampa Bay is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota

  • The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay

  • The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games at home

⚾️ Cubs at Rockies

  • The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games when playing Colorado

  • The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games

  • Colorado is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs

⚾️ Guardians at Giants

  • The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cleveland's last 8 games on the road

  • The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Cleveland's last 18 games when playing San Francisco

  • San Francisco is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Cleveland

  • San Francisco is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Cleveland

⚾️ Angels at Mariners

  • The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Angels's last 8 games on the road

  • The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Angels's last 7 games when playing on the road against Seattle

  • Seattle is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing LA Angels

  • The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games

⚾️ Cardinals at Orioles

  • The total has gone OVER in 8 of St. Louis's last 9 games when playing on the road against Baltimore

  • The total has gone OVER in 9 of St. Louis's last 12 games when playing Baltimore

  • The total has gone OVER in 9 of Baltimore's last 10 games

⚾️ Reds at Tigers

  • The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games on the road

  • The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cincinnati's last 9 games when playing on the road against Detroit

  • The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games at home

  • Detroit is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cincinnati

⚾️ Braves at Phillies

  • The total has gone OVER in 8 of Atlanta's last 9 games

  • Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia

  • The total has gone OVER in 8 of Philadelphia's last 10 games when playing at home against Atlanta

  • The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games

⚾️ Rangers at Blue Jays

  • Texas is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Toronto

  • The total has gone OVER in 9 of Texas's last 10 games

  • The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against Texas

  • The total has gone OVER in 11 of Toronto's last 16 games

⚾️ Athletics at Astros

  • The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland's last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston

  • Oakland is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road

  • The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games when playing Oakland

⚾️ Yankees at Red Sox

  • NY Yankees is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road

  • NY Yankees is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road

⚾️ Diamondbacks at Mets

  • The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Arizona's last 7 games on the road

  • The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 6 games

  • NY Mets is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games at home

  • NY Mets is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Arizona

⚾️ Royals at White Sox

  • The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City's last 7 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox

  • The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 6 games on the road

  • Chi White Sox is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Kansas City

  • Chi White Sox is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Kansas City

⚾️ Marlins at Brewers

  • The total has gone OVER in 8 of Miami's last 11 games

⚾️ Padres at Dodgers

  • The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Diego's last 5 games on the road

  • The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games when playing San Diego

  • The total has gone OVER in 7 of LA Dodgers's last 8 games

Public Money 🤑 via VSiN at 9AMCT

⚾️ MLB

41% of bets and 59% of money is on OVER 11.5 CHC at COL

49% of bets and 69% of money is on SF -1.5 (+150)

67% of bets and 88% of money is on PIT -1.5 (+145)

44% of bets and 77% of money is on DET -1.5 (+155)

38% of bets and 65% of money is on TOR -1.5 (+170)

15% of bets and 39% of money is on OAK +225

56% of bets and 88% of money is on OVER 9 OAK at HOU

60% of bets and 88% of money is on ARI -1.5 (+115)

21% of bets and 41% of money is on KC +130

🏈 NFL

39% of bets and 56% of money is on MIN +260

Future Odds 🔮 via Bovada Sportsbook

Picks 🔒

Overall Record (2023): 112-111-3 (-7.4U

Dodgers -118 | The Dodgers are at home even though they are facing Snell. They are 4-0 in Pepiot’s 4 appearances and have won 9 put of the L12 meetings versus the Padres.

Eagles -7 | The Eagles beat the Vikings 24-7 last year in a game that could have been a bigger winning margin. There is no reason to think Minnesota missing their center and LT are going to be able to handle the Eagles defensive line rotation.