Sunday Night Football – Vikings To Roll In Mismatch
The Minnesota Vikings don’t have a great shot to catch the New Orleans Saints for the top seed in the NFC but they do have an excellent chance to lock down the No. 2 seed in the conference.
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Time: 8:20 ET
Venue: Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Panthers vs. Vikings Sunday Football Lines
MoneyLine: Vikings -450 | Panthers +350
Spread: Vikings -9
Over/Under: 43.5
This week, the Vikings will get a real softball as they face a team that plays to their strengths. The Carolina Panthers have been a feeble contestant this year but when they have won, it’s been because their running game has led the way. When they can’t run, they can’t win.
It just so happens that the Vikings have one of the best run-stuffing teams in the NFL and on top of that, the Panthers just lost their second starting tackle for the year.
The Vikings will stifle the Panthers on offense and their offense will find enough points to make this a comfortable win.
Vikings offense versus Panthers defense
Where is Adrian Peterson? He is averaging a respectable 92.3 yards per game this season but how many times do you need to feed him to get to that average?
Peterson has averaged just 3.2 yards per carry over the last month and the Vikings continue to lean more and more on the arm of Brett Favre.
The good news is that this week, Peterson should find some running room. The Panthers defensive front seven is battered and bruised, and Peterson should be able to lead the way for the first time in a long time.
Panthers offense versus Vikings defense
So you’ve just lost your second starting tackle for the year, Jeff Otah, and now you have to figure out a way to run the ball against Pat Williams, Kevin Williams and Jared Allen. Good luck.
The Panthers are going to be in really tough this week. Not that the Vikings would ever ease up on the run defense anyway, they have more reason to key in since backup quarterback Matt Moore will be starting this week and he isn’t much of a passing threat.
Even if the Panthers do decide to pass, they really only have one weapon in Steve Smith, so the Vikings will be sure to double-team him.
This is really a tooth-less offense if they can’t get their running game going. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart will have to be special this week but it’s difficult to expect that considering the blocking and the lanes won’t be there.
Outlook & Pick
Although the Vikings are the road team in this contest, it won’t matter. This is just a very poor matchup for the Panthers.
The X’s and O’s heavily favor Minnesota and while the Panthers are just playing out their string of games, the Vikings are playing for the No. 2 seed in the NFC. If they secure the No. 2 seed or catch New Orleans, it will be mean that the Vikings – and more importantly, Favre – will be in domes all the way up until the Super Bowl.
Pick: Vikings -9
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Dave Golokhov has written for BETUS Sportsbook, Sportsfanmagazine.com, FOX, Askmen.com, Sports-central.org, and the FOXSports.com Funhouse.
