New Orleans (5-1) at Minnesota (4-2-1)
When: Sunday, October 28th 2018
Where: U.S. Bank Stadium,
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Time: 8:20 ET | TV: NBC
Opening Odds: Minnesota -2.5/52
We saw one of the greatest endings to an NFL Playoff game last January between the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings, and the two teams will meet again for a regular season rematch on Sunday Night Football. The Vikings stunned New Orleans in the postseason last year with a walk-off touchdown to advance to the NFC Championship Game, only to get throttled by the Philadelphia Eagles. We could see another battle between these teams this coming January as they currently have a 9-3-1 combined record heading into Week 8. Minnesota has overcome a slow start to reel off three consecutive wins to move atop a tightly bunched NFC North, while the Saints have won five in a row after losing in Week 1 to the Buccaneers. New Orleans is coming off an impressive 24-23 road victory at Baltimore as 2.5-point underdogs, as Ravens’ kick Justin Tucker missed his first ever extra point late in the fourth quarter to give the Saints the victory. Minnesota put together a complete game last week at the New York Jets, beating them 37-17, as wide receiver Adam Thielen continues to have a monster season. Minnesota also beat visiting New Orleans to open the 2017 regular season, 29-19 and the favorite is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The Saints are 1.5-point favorites in this contest as of Saturday night.
Drew Brees reached hit another milestone last weekend after becoming the NFL’s all-time leading passer two weeks ago. He connected on two scoring passes against Baltimore to reach 500 for his career. Brees has 13 scoring passes and zero interceptions for a league-leading passer rating (121.6) and has made wide receiver Michael Thomas the third-leading wideout in the league with 53 catches for 588 yards and four touchdowns. Running back Alvin Kamara has rushed for 363 yards and six scores while adding 40 catches and a touchdown as a receiver. The Saints, who have the league’s top-ranked rushing defense (72.3 yards), acquired cornerback Eli Apple from the Giants this week to shore-up the league’s 28th-ranked pass defense.
The Vikings have missed running back Dalvin Cook for the last three weeks with a hamstring injury, but Latavius Murray has rumbled for 224 yards and all three of his touchdowns in the past two weeks. That has taken some of the pressure off quarterback Kirk Cousins, but it hasn’t prevented Thielen from joining Charley Hennigan as the only players in league history to have at least 100 yards in each of the first seven games of the season. Thielen leads the NFL in yards (822) and catches (67), and fellow wideout Stefon Diggs (48 receptions) provide a 1-2 punch for Cousins, who has thrown for 14 TDs and three interceptions. Minnesota’s defense ranks 16th against the pass (256.1 yards) and fifth against the run (89.7).
Its a tall order to ask New Orleans to beat two very good teams on the road in back-to-back weeks. The Vikings were an NFC favorite coming into this season, and they’re finally playing like one. Look for Cousins and company to pull out the victory here.
Pick: Vikings +1.5
Betting Trends:
- Saints are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win.
- Saints are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games in Week 8.
- Saints are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
- Saints are 15-3 ATS in their last 18 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Saints are 21-5 ATS in their last 26 games in October.
- Saints are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Saints are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. NFC.
- Saints are 17-5 ATS in their last 22 road games.
- Saints are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Saints are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games following a ATS win.
- Saints are 45-20-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
- Vikings are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.
- Vikings are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 games in October.
- Vikings are 11-1 ATS in their last 12 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Vikings are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Vikings are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. NFC.
- Vikings are 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Vikings are 37-15-1 ATS in their last 53 games on fieldturf.
- Vikings are 36-15-1 ATS in their last 52 games following a ATS win.
- Vikings are 35-15-2 ATS in their last 52 home games.
- Vikings are 46-21-1 ATS in their last 68 games overall.
- Vikings are 26-12-1 ATS in their last 39 games following a straight up win.
- Vikings are 1-4 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 6-1 in Saints last 7 vs. NFC.
- Under is 6-2 in Saints last 8 games in October.
- Over is 5-2 in Saints last 7 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Over is 5-2 in Saints last 7 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 10-4 in Saints last 14 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Over is 4-0 in Vikings last 4 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Over is 5-0 in Vikings last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 6-1 in Vikings last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Over is 5-1 in Vikings last 6 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 4-1 in Vikings last 5 games in October.
- Under is 5-2 in Vikings last 7 home games.
- Over is 5-2 in Vikings last 7 vs. NFC.
- Under is 36-16 in Vikings last 52 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.
- Under is 27-13 in Vikings last 40 games following a straight up win of more than 14 points.
- Over is 6-0-1 in the last 7 meetings in Minnesota.
- Saints are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.
- Over is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.
- Favorite is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.
