A rematch of Super Bowl XI will be at front and center of the football universe on Sunday as the Minnesota Vikings square off with the Las Vegas Raiders to begin each team's preseason schedule. Feel free to join us for our NFL preseason odds series, where our Vikings-Raiders prediction and pick will be revealed.
First-year coach Kevin O'Connell will put his offensive expertise to the test as the Vikings decided to hire the 37-year-old wiz kid after Minnesota parted ways with Mike Zimmer in the offseason. After finishing the 2021 regular season at 8-9, just missing a playoff spot in the NFC, Minnesota is hopeful it can be more dynamic on offense with O'Connell at the helm while remaining stingy on defense.
Like the Vikings, the Raiders enter 2022 with a new head coach of their own. Miraculously, Las Vegas was able to clinch a playoff berth last season after adversity reached an all-time high with former head coach Jon Gruden and wide receiver Henry Ruggs facing severe legal trouble. Now with longtime Patriots offensive guru Josh McDaniels running the show, the Raiders are hopeful they can clinch another ticket to the postseason without as much drama.
Here are the Vikings-Raiders NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Vikings-Raiders Odds
Minnesota Vikings: +4 (-110)
Las Vegas Raiders: -4 (-110)
Over: 36.5 (-110)
Under: 36.5 (-110)
Why The Vikings Could Cover The Spread
While the Vikings aren't expected to play a whole lot of starters, like many other teams scattered across the NFL, Minnesota will definitely have plenty of playmakers suiting up for battle when they take on the Raiders. Starting quarterback Kirk Cousins, however, recently tested positive for COVID and has not been traveling with the team for practices in Las Vegas. Nonetheless, the football world should get a good look at the Vikings newly selected draft picks from April.
Eyes will be on the Vikings secondary, as upper management went all in on bolstering the safety and cornerback positions in the 2022 NFL Draft. For starters, Minnesota used their first-round pick on Lewis Cline, a ballhawking safety who helped Georgia win the national title last season. Additionally, the Vikings doubled down by selecting cover corner Andrew Booth out of Clemson.
Both rookies should receive a good amount of action on Sunday, as Minnesota is extremely high on their top draftees. Don't be surprised if the talented newcomers play a role in limiting the Raiders' passing game and even make some key tackles near the line of scrimmage.
More than likely, the outcome of this one will come down to the effectiveness of play under center. With Cousins expected to be absent, it will be backups Kellen Mond, in his third season in the league out of Texas A&M, and Sean Mannion who will receive a bulk of the reps. While both field generals had successful college careers, neither has made a name for himself thus far in the NFL.
Why The Raiders Could Cover The Spread
Everything is bigger, better and badder in Vegas, right?
Raiders owner Mark Davis moved the team from Oakland to Las Vegas for greener pastures at the conclusion of the 2019 season. Now entering year three in Sin City, the Raiders are eager to build upon a playoff appearance in 2021. While things will be far from easy as they reside in one of the more competitive divisions the NFL has ever seen, the hiring of McDaniels and addition of Davante Adams has Raiders nation buzzing with excitement.
This enthusiasm was definitely upped a notch when the Raiders took care of business in the Hall-of-Fame earlier this month, defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-11. It was an impressive performance to say the least, as Vegas held Jacksonville to 271 total yards of offense and displayed an all-around balance that was very encouraging.
Against the Vikings, the Raiders will look to dominate the line of scrimmage while taking control of time of possession to curb Minnesota's scoring opportunities. While no one quite knows whether or not Derek Carr will be available to play on Sunday, Las Vegas will surely give enough chances to backups Jarred Stidham, Nick Mullens and Chase Garbers regardless.
Be on the lookout for the Raiders' talented backfield, as Las Vegas has a plethora of solid running backs who could go full takeover mode on Sunday.
Final Vikings-Raiders Prediction & Pick
Clearly, the Raiders have an advantage in this one by playing a preseason game already, while Minnesota will be the last team in the league to begin its exhibition slate. With the Vikings working out the kinks and the Raiders already appearing to be in a rhythm, taking Las Vegas to cover at home feels like the right pick.
Final Vikings-Raiders Prediction & Pick: Raiders -4 (-110)
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