The 5-1-0 Minnesota Vikings host the 3-4-0 Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings have a point spread of -3.5 with a money line of -192. The over/under total on the game is currently set at 49 points.
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Arizona Cardinals (+3.5)Record: 3-4-0 |
Minnesota Vikings (-3.5)Record: 5-1-0 |
Minnesota Vikings Offense:
The Vikings are coached by Kevin O’Connell who has been with the team since 2022. They have a current season record of 5-1-0 after going 8-9 last season. All coaches want big games from their offense and certainly Kevin O’Connell is no different.
Kirk Cousins is the quarterback for the Vikings. The 34-year-old Michigan State alum entered the league in 2012 and is looking for a win in front of the home crowd here. Thus far this season he has started 6 games and thrown for 1502 yards with a completion percentage of 66.2 percent. Kirk Cousins has thrown 9 touchdowns despite 5 interceptions and has a QB Rating of 88.7.
His main target will be Justin Jefferson. The home crowd would especially love to see some fireworks from the 23-year-old target. He has made 46 receptions to date on 63 targets, a catch percentage of 73.0%, for a total of 654 yards. Justin Jefferson is averaging 14.2 yards per catch with 2 touchdowns thus far. Kirk Cousins will be looking to connect with him for more here.
The Vikings running game is lead by the 27-year-old Dalvin Cook. A big game from him could be the key to controlling the clock here. He’s taken 94 carries and rushed for 450 yards thus far this season. His yards per game currently sits at 75 YPG, a number that you know Kevin O’Connell would love to see him exceed in this game. Dalvin Cook has 4 touchdowns this season and 1 fumbles.
Overall, the Minnesota Vikings offense ranks 14 out of 32 teams in Offense DVOA at 4.5%, per FootballOutsiders. The passing game ranks at number 10 with a Passing DVOA of 5.4%. The running game has a Rush DVOA of 11.3%, ranking #17 in the league. This season they have a Red Zone success rate of 0.591 with 13 Red Zone touchdowns in 22 attempts.
Minnesota Vikings Defense/Special Teams:
On the defensive end, the Vikings have a Defense DVOA of 5.6%, ranking 24 in the league. Specifically against the pass they rank #24 at 3.1% and they’ll need them to show up against Kyler Murray. The Kevin O’Connell-led team has a Defense against the rush DVOA of 3.1%, #21 out of thirty two teams.
Their kicker is Greg Joseph who has made 9 of 13 field goals this season, a 69.2% field goal percentage, with a long of 56 yards. The Minnesota Vikings fans don’t want to see him too much, but it’s good to know he can hit another one if needed.
Arizona Cardinals Offense:
The Cardinals are on the road for this one. Kliff Kingsbury’s squad is 3-4-0 this season after going 11-6 last year. He has been at the helm since 2019 and is looking to grab a road win here. The Arizona Cardinals have a betting line of +3.5 or you could bet them straight up at 167.
25-year-old Kyler Murray will be under center for this one. He entered the league in 2019 after playing his college days at Oklahoma. Kyler Murray has a quarterback rating of 83.7 on 7 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He’s started 7 games and thrown for 1667yards, a completion percentage of 65.5.
James Conner is the lead back for the Cardinals running game. The 27-year-old has taken 54 carries and rushed for 200 yards this season. His yards per game currently sits at 40 YPG and he has scored 1 touchdowns with 1 fumbles.
On the passing front, Kyler Murray will look to target Marquise Brown against the Kliff Kingsbury defense. Marquise Brown has 3 touchdowns thus far this season and his team will be looking for more here. On the year, he’s been targeted 64 times and made 43 catches for 485 yards. Marquise Brown has a catch percentage of 67.2% and his yards per reception is 11.3.
According to FootballOutsiders, the Arizona Cardinals offense has a Defense-adjusted Value Over Average of -11.7% which ranks at number 26 out of thirty two teams. The Passing DVOA is -6.0%, the number 26 ranked pass offense in the league. When running the ball, their Rush DVOA ranks at 28 with a Rush DVOA total of -6.7%.
If they hope to win on the road, they’ll need to do well in the Red Zone. For the year, they have scored 12 Red Zone touchdowns on 22 attempts, a Red Zone percentage of 0.545.
Arizona Cardinals Defense/Special Teams:
The team will be looking for touchdowns, but they have Matt Prater to knock down field goals if needed. His season long is a 49 yarder which is always helpful on the road. Matt Prater has made 6 field goals on 49 attempts, a field goal percentage of 100.0%.
The advanced stats from Football Outsiders have the Cardinals with a Defensive DVOA of 3.3% which ranks at 21/32 in the NFL. They are a different team against the run and the pass though.
Against the pass they rank at #24 out of 32 teams with a Pass DVOA of 3.1%. Comparatively, the run defense has a 2.8% DVOA which ranks at #21.
Key Match-ups:
- Kirk Cousins QB Rating of 88.7 vs. Arizona Cardinals Pass DVOA Defense of -6.0%
The Cardinals have 5 interceptions this year and 11 sacks. They are allowing 25.1 points per game. - Dalvin Cook vs. Arizona Cardinals number 28 ranked DVOA Rush Defense
Opponents are averaging 4.3 yards per carry against the the Arizona Cardinals and 101.1 per game. - Kyler Murray QB Rating of 83.7 vs. Minnesota Vikings #24 ranked DVOA Pass Defense
The Vikings defense has allowed 19.7 points per game thus far this season. They have sacked the quarterback 17 times and picked him off 5 times. - James Conner vs. Minnesota Vikings 12.9% DVOA Rush Defense
The Vikings are giving up 112.5 YPG on 4.3 per carry thus far this season.
Cardinals/Vikings Bettting Stats:
Cardinals Against the spread: 4-3-0
Cardinals Over/Under: 2-4-1
Vikings Against the spread: 2-4-0
Vikings Over/Under: 3-3-0
The best bet is Minnesota Vikings -3.5 and Under 49.