Minnesota Vikings vs Philadelphia Eagles
In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, we get a Carson Wentz revenge game to look forward to.
J.J. McCarthy is still not at 100% after suffering an ankle sprain in the Week 2 loss to the Falcons, which means Wentz is set to make his fourth-straight start of the season.
Will Wentz prove to be the better option under center as they host the defending Super Bowl champs, or are the Eagles primed for a bounce-back after dropping their last two games? Let’s dive into my Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles preview and picks.
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Minnesota Vikings vs Philadelphia Eagles NFL Betting Insights
Can Jalen Hurts get his team back on track?
Vikings vs Eagles Preview
Without J.J. McCarthy under center over the past three games, veteran quarterback Carson Wentz has led Minnesota to a 2-1 record. The wins came against the lowly Bengals (48-10) and an incompetent Browns team (21-17) in an overseas game where rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel made his first start. Sandwiched between those victories was another international matchup against the Steelers, where the Vikings fell 24-21.
Minnesota’s only other win came in its season opener at Chicago, when McCarthy rallied the Vikings to a 27-24 victory despite an ugly first half. The following week, they were embarrassed at home by the Falcons, 22-6.
It’s clear that Minnesota’s defense is the strength of this team, and that the Vikings aren’t quite as good as their 3-2 record suggests. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has his group playing at an elite level – they rank second in EPA per play allowed and sixth in success rate. The secondary has been exceptional, sitting first in dropback EPA and third in dropback success rate. However, they’ve been far less effective against the run, ranking 25th in rush EPA per play and 19th in rush success rate allowed. Opponents are averaging 4.5 yards per carry against them. This spells trouble with the run-heavy Eagles coming to town.
Philly’s defense has regressed overall, but they still rank in the top half of the league against the pass. Like Minnesota, though, they’ve been vulnerable on the ground, sitting 29th in rush success rate and 22nd in rush EPA allowed.
If the Vikings hope to stay competitive, they’ll need a big performance from running back Jordan Mason to keep the offense balanced and the pressure off whoever starts at quarterback.
Minnesota vs Philadelphia Picks
Plain and simple, this is not a great Vikings team. Their comeback win over the Bears was the type of result that rarely happens statistically. They faced the Bengals in their first game without Joe Burrow, and then benefited from spending multiple weeks overseas – getting comfortable with the environment while the inferior Browns had to travel across the pond and start a rookie quarterback for the first time against one of the league’s best defenses. Even with those advantages, Minnesota barely hung on for that win.
Wentz’s stat line is fine, but there’s nothing special about it. He’s completing 69% of his passes with five touchdowns and two interceptions against some of the league’s bottom feeders.
When I first placed my wager at the beginning of the week, I was ecstatic – signs were pointing to McCarthy starting. Of course, later in the week, we learned that Wentz would be starting once again. While I do believe he is currently the better quarterback, he’s still far from a reliable option – especially against a desperate Philadelphia team.
The Eagles have looked rough over their past two games, both losses, and in a few other spots this season. But that was somewhat expected, given the natural effects of a championship hangover.
They’ve worked through that slump, and now they get a prime opportunity to reset against a Minnesota team with one of the league’s weakest offenses. Expect Philadelphia to return to its trademark physical style, controlling the line of scrimmage and reestablishing its identity.
Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley should have their way against a soft Vikings run defense, while Wentz won’t have enough in the tank to keep up. This sets up perfectly for the Eagles to bounce back and get right back in the win column.
Best Bet: Eagles Moneyline (-125) BetOnline
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