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The Arizona Cardinals visit the Minnesota Vikings for one final preseason game. It is time to continue our NFL Preseason odds series with a Cardinals-Vikings prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The Cardinals enter this game after being manhandled by the Chiefs last time out. They lost 38-10 as the defense was shredded throughout the game. Three of the four quarterbacks to take snaps for the Chiefs scored a touchdown in the game. Patrick Mahomes threw one, while Blaine Gabbert threw two, and Shane Buechele ran on in. Beuchele was also ten for ten on the day for 105 yards. Chiefs quarterbacks threw for 393 yards in the game on 31-38 passing for 393 yards. Ultimately, the Cardinals lost 38-10 and came out of the game with more questions than answers about their roster.
Meanwhile, the Vikings fell to 0-2 in the preseason, losing 24-16 to the Titans. It was their rush defense that was the undoing. The Titans threw just 17 times and completed ten passes for 71 yards. Meanwhile, they ran for 281 yards at a rate of nearly seven yards per attempt. Julius Chestnut ran for 98 yards and a score, while Malik Willis went for 91 yards on the ground. Tyjae Spears added 57 and a score to beat the Vikings. The Vikings played both backup quarterbacks in the game, and neither looked good, leading to speculation they may be looking at trading for Trey Lance.
Here are the Cardinals-Vikings Preseason NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Preseason Odds: Cardinals-Vikings Odds
Arizona Cardinals: +1 (-110)
Minnesota Vikings: -1 (-110)
Over: 38.5 (-110)
Under: 38.5 (-110)
How to Watch Cardinals vs. Vikings
TV: NBC12 (Phoenix), Fox9 (Minneapolis)
Stream: fuboTV, NFL+
Time: 1:00 PM ET/ 10:00 AM PT
*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Cardinals Could Cover The Spread
Article Continues Below
With Kyler Murray still recovering from an ACL injury, the Cardinals need to figure out the quarterback situation. Colt McCoy is expected to be the starter for this team, and he has done well in his limited pre-season action. He is 9-12 with 42 yards so far in the preseason. It is possible to sit this one out as he prepares for the regular season, and the Cardinals do not have clear depth behind him. Clayton Tune and David Bough are fighting for that spot. Tune has looked good at times in the preseason. He has played in one game, going 12-24 passing with 133 yards. Meanwhile, Blough has made just four passes, completing three of them for 31 yards. Bloud could be in for a lot of work in this game, and he has been a starter in the NFL before, back when he was with the Lions.
Jeff Driskel could also see some time in this one. He is still on the roster but has yet to throw a pass in the preseason. He could be on the cut list as well, so he will need to show he is a better option than the other two to stave that off.
Meanwhile, there is the race to backup James Conner at running back. Keaontay Ingram has looked the best of the backs so far. He has run for 28 yards on seven carries and a touchdown so far in the preseason. Emari Demercado has averaged just 1.5 yards per carry so far in the preseason, If Demercado is going to make the roster, he has a lot of work to do. Corey Clement is also in his way. Clement has limited carries so far in the preseason and could be in for a larger workload in this one.
The Cardinals also made an investment in defense in the draft. They took BJ Ojulari in the second round, Garrett Williams in the third, and Owen Pappoe in the fifth. Williams is on the non-football injury list so he has not seen the field. Still, Ojualri and Pappoe were both on the field as the Chiefs systematically dismantled the defense for the Cardinals. They need to show they were worth of their draft pick, while also having the secondary sure up some pass defense.
Why The Vikings Could Cover The Spread
The story for the Vikings could be a quarterback as well. While Kirk Cousins is entrenched as the starter, Nick Mullins, Jaren Hall, and Jordan Ta'amu are all fighting for the backup job. Jordan Ta'amu has not taken reps in the preseason, so he may get some in this game, but so far, Nick Mullins has a stranglehold on the backup job. He has gone 27-43 for 290 yards so far in the preseason. He has also thrown a touchdown pass. Meanwhile, Hall is just 10-21 passing with 86 yards. He looked better in the game with Tennessee. He went 4/7 in the game for 49 yards while also running for 14 yards.
The backup spot behind Alexander Mattison is also up for grabs. Ty Chandler got 11 carries in the game with Tennesee. Still, he has 22 carries for 65 yards in the preseason, and that is good for just three yards per carry. That could open the door for rookie DeWayne McBride. McBride has not been great either so far in the preseason. He has 33 yards on 12 carries with a score so far. He had explosive plays while playing for UAB. If they show up in this game, he could propel himself to the backup job and see carries in the regular season.
Finally, the Vikings have to see their defense set up. They invested in defensive depth in the offseason, and so far that has not panned out, especially in the run game. They were run over last week to the tune of nearly 300 yards. Even more, that was without Derrick Henry playing for the Titans. The Cardinals may not have the same push up front, but with some solid backs in the mix, the Vikings have to tackle better to get the win in this one.
Final Cardinals-Vikings Prediction & Pick
The third preseason game may see some starters, but most likely not a lot. That means this game will come down to depth. Both the second and third units for each team looked rough in their respective last preseason games. Still, the Vikings are better as a whole. They will send out the better set of quarterbacks, and the better defense. Take them to cover in this one.
Final Cardinals-Vikings Prediction & Pick: Vikings -1 (-110)
