The Minnesota Vikings (1-1) host the San Diego Chargers (1-1) at TCF Bank Stadium this week. The NFL’s fourth-leading passer, Philip Rivers (645 yards, 4 TDs) will be the focal point of this contest. It will begin Sunday, Sep 27 at 1:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on CBS.
Minnesota notched a win over Detroit 26-16 last week. Kyle Rudolph had a good game in the win, totaling five catches for 30 yards. Teddy Bridgewater contributed as well, putting up 153 yards and a TD through the air. San Diego didn’t have the same success as Minnesota, getting beat by Cincinnati 24-19. Malcom Floyd had a solid outing for the Chargers, totaling two catches for 55 yards.
Minnesota is favored by a small two-point margin in its matchup against the Chargers. The matchup currently has a 45-point Over/Under (O/U).
Heading into Week 3 of league action, the Vikings are 1-1 both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS). The Vikings may look to take advantage of a San Diego run defense that allows 4.7 yards per run. As for the Minnesota defense, there are important areas to keep an eye on. The Chargers need to watch out for Minnesota’s stingy coverage. They average the fifth-most turnovers with two per game.
In comparison to the Vikings, the Chargers have a record of 1-1 both ATS and SU. Offensively, they could have an advantage against a defense that has struggled this season. The Vikings give up 18.0 points per game. The Chargers find their targets in the passing game, owning the top completion percentage in the league at 81.2%. The Chargers look to take advantage of Minnesota’s subpar offense, which averages 14.5 points per game. The defensive backs for the Chargers will be looking to shut down the weak passing attack of the Vikings, which ranks last in the league with an average of 164 passing yards per game. San Diego tends to control the time of possession during games, averaging a time of 34:10 for fifth in the league.
Predictions: SU Winner – SD, ATS Winner – SD, O/U – Under
Notes
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota’s last 5 games.
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota’s last 5 games when playing San Diego.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota’s last 5 games when playing at home against San Diego.
San Diego is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Diego’s last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota.
Minnesota is 1-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter this season.
The Minnesota offensive ground attack is ranked eighth in the league, while the San Diego rush defense is only ranked 21st. The Chargers’ rushing game is ranked 15th, compared to the 25th-ranked run defense of the Vikings.
