The Oakland Raiders enter Week 3 with a 1-1 record. Their opponents, the Minnesota Vikings, are also 1-1.

Despite that, the Raiders find themselves as pretty big underdogs. Yes, they're the away team, but they're considered the third biggest underdogs, according to ESPN.

The only two teams favored less than them are the hapless Miami Dolphins (going up against the 2-0 Dallas Cowboys in Dallas) and the New York Jets (going up against the 2-0 New England Patriots in Foxborough).

So how does Oakland pull out an upset win against Minnesota on Sunday? Here are four reasons why they'll beat the Vikings in their Week 3 matchup.

Stopping the Run

The Raiders have been really good against the run this year. They've allowed just 126 rushing yards, the fifth least in the NFL. Meanwhile, they're allowing just 2.8 yards per carry, the fourth least in the NFL.

That's great because the Vikings have one of the most electric running backs in football in Dalvin Cook. He has 265 yards and three touchdowns on 41 carries. Cook has looked absolutely incredible this year.

Meanwhile, the passing game has been bad. Kirk Cousins doesn't seem to have the trust of the coaching staff. They didn't use him much in Week 1 and in Week 2 he had far too many turnovers, including a miserable interception to end their hopes.

If the Raiders can shutdown the run, they could effectively shutdown the entire offense. That makes this game much more interesting.

Usually, you wouldn't bet on someone locking Cook down. However, that Oakland defense appears to be legit against the run. There's a very strong chance they at least contain the running back for the most part in Week 3.

To be clear, this is what would be the reason for winning if they do win. This isn't simply predicting a Raiders win.

Run with Josh Jacobs, A lot

Speaking of the run, the Minnesota Vikings aren't all that bad themselves. However, they aren't spectacular either.

So far, they've allowed 217 yards, right in the middle of the pack (15th overall). Meanwhile, they're allowing 4.3 yards per carry, also right in the middle of the pack at 17th in the NFL.

The Raiders need to take advantage of that. It seems like a defense that rookie running back Josh Jacobs can do some damage against.

So far, Jacobs is having a superb rookie campaign. He's racked up 184 yards on 35 carries (5.3 yards per carry) and has two touchdowns. He's yet to fumble and seems to constantly pick up positive yards.

Basically, he's been as good as advertised, if not even better.

The Raiders need to feed him the ball early and often to set the tone in the game. If Oakland can run it with success, they control the clock. Control the clock and you win the game.

Make Kirk Cousins Uncomfortable

As mentioned before, Kirk Cousins hasn't looked good this year. He's 22-for-42 on pass attempts (52.4%) and has just 328 yards. He's also thrown two touchdowns compared to two interceptions and has fumbled the ball twice.

Cousins hasn't looked good this year, coming off a year where he took over a 13-3 team and didn't make the playoffs.

The Vikings seem to be losing trust in him and it might be panic mode time soon enough. Oakland needs to capitalize on that. Get at Cousins as much as you can. Force him to make throws he doesn't want to make.

If there's anything you should know about Cousins if you've watched him over the years, he targets a receiver. Cousins tends to lock eyes with someone and that's his main read. When they aren't open, he'll pause too long and wait to see if they get open. If not, he'll move on to the check down.

However, the Raiders can never give him the chance. Get at Cousins quick and he'll need to decide if he wants to take the sack or attempt a throw that isn't there. This is how mistakes are made and could lead to a Raiders victory.

Spread the Ball Around

The Vikings have a very solid secondary—a secondary led by superstar safety Harrison Smith, someone who will knock your head off if you cross his path.

Due to that, it's not smart to target just one or two players too often. Get into a rhythm and the secondary will pounce (and Smith will light them up).

Derek Carr needs to feed everyone. Share the ball as much as possible and don't let the Vikings focus in on one player.

This will also play into the run game. Feed Jacobs often and then it will be a little more surprising when they actually do pass the ball.

Oakland doesn't have any superstar receivers, but they have nice pieces. Darren Waller's a really good tight end and Tyrell Williams is a solid receiver. Hunter Renfrow is a promising rookie and Ryan Grant is a reliable target. Derek Carrier is a solid tight end as well.

Use them all. Give everyone some looks and Minnesota won't be as effective against the pass. This will help Carr succeed, and in turn help the team succeed.