Cardinals vs Vikings matchup preview and current betting lines
The Arizona Cardinals looked much better with DeAndre Hopkins coming back from his six-game suspension. He failed to reach paydirt in his first game back but still paced the team in targets, receptions, and receiving yards.
However, Kyler Murray’s regression seems real. He hasn’t been the same dual-threat gunslinger this season, and Kliff Kingsbury being on the hot seat for the remainder of the season won’t do all that much to help his case.
The Minnesota Vikings are currently leading the race to win the NFC North. Moreover, and against all odds, Kirk Cousins has been a part of the MVP conversation for most of the season, although we all know that’s unsustainable.
The Vikings are fresh off a bye week, so they’ve had plenty of time to look ahead at this matchup and regroup. They have a well-balanced offense and their defense has performed better than expected for most of the season.
Players to watch:
DeAndre Hopkins: DeAndre Hopkins missed the first six weeks of the season with a suspension but picked things right where he left them in his first game back. He’s one of the best wideouts in the game, and the Cardinals now finally have a true WR1.
Justin Jefferson: Justin Jefferson is looking to prove that he’s the best wide receiver in the game, even ahead of Hopkins. So, we expect him to be extra motivated in this matchup, especially coming off a bye week with plenty of film to watch.
Week 8 Predictions: NFL Bet of the week on Cardinals vs Vikings
Vikings -3.5
The opening Cardinals vs Vikings spread has the Minnesota Vikings as 3.5-point favorites. That makes perfect sense, considering they’re coming off a bye week and had two full weeks to look ahead and plan this matchup.
The Vikings are 5-1 to start the season. Their only loss came at the hands of the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles in primetime, and they’re not going to face a good Arizona Cardinals team. Also, they’re well-rested and at home.
The Cardinals are 3-4 straight up this season, but their record could be even worse if it wasn’t for Kyler Murray’s heroics in that win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Also, they’ve beaten the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, which is nothing to brag about.
Their offense finally clicked last week, and DeAndre Hopkins gives them an elite weapon downfield. But we just don’t like their chances against a rested team and a solid defense that will put Murray under pressure throughout the whole game.
Under 49
The opening Cardinals vs Vikings odds have this game sitting at 49 projected points. That’s just way too much. The Cardinals were mediocre at best offensively for most of the season, and they’ve gotten off to slow starts in all but one game.
James Conner could be back and Robbie Anderson will have another week under their system, so oddsmakers may expect more points from them in this one. But their win over the Saints was misleading, as two of their TDs came from Andy Dalton’s interceptions.
The Minnesota Vikings favor the running game over the passing game, as they should with Kirk Cousins as their quarterback. Dalvin Cook helps them control the pace of the game and run a slow-tempo offense to keep that clock running.
So, even though we don’t expect this game to be a low-scoring matchup, we do think this total is inflated after last week’s blowout. This total should sit around the 45 or 46 points, as we project a 24-20 Vikings in at home.
FAQs about Cardinals vs Vikings
No, but they both play in the NFC.
The game will take place at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
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