Thursday Night Football: Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings
Date & Time: Thursday October 24th, 2019, 8:20 (EST)
Location: U.S Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
The Spread: Minnesota Vikings -16, O/U: 42
TV Channel: FOX, NFL Network
NFL Season Record ATS: 24-15
Nick Ballistreri gives his Thursday Night Football preview as the 1-6 Redskins travel to Minnesota to play the 5-2 Vikings.
Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings Preview
In this Thursday Night Football game, the Redskins travel to Minnesota to play the Vikings. Just a few weeks back, the Vikings offense was embarrassed in Soldier Field, scoring only 6 points. Fans were calling for Kirk Cousins’ job, and there was rumbling around the league that WR Stefon Diggs was unhappy with his role on the offense, and was asking for a trade.
Fast forward just 3 weeks later. The Vikings are 3-0 since that debacle, and their offensive woes seem to have cured, as they have averaged 32 points over that stretch. The offense is built around their running game, lead by Dalvin Cook, who is having an incredible bounce-back year after injuries ruined his previous season.
Kirk Cousins is solid, if unspectacular. He is a conservative passer who picks and chooses his spots carefully, mitigating his risk knowing he can lean on the running game and the defense. It’s worked to this point, as the Vikings are 5-2 and a game behind the Packers in the NFC North.
For the Redskins, all is not well. They are 1-6, with their only victory coming by 1 point against the winless Dolphins, and are last place in the NFC. They are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Their current QB, Case Keenum, is not good enough to compete to win games, and their young rookie, Dwayne Haskins, is not ready to start. It’s a bad situation for the team and the fans who back them, as they are in contention for the worst team in the NFL.
Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings Spread Prediction
The Vikings are 16 point home favorites in this game. It seems like every week, we are seeing some extraordinary lines set by Vegas, only for the favorites to cover easily. This lines seems right to me. The Vikings offense has been explosive as of late, and the Redskins are struggling to score. It’s in Minnesota, where the Vikings are 3-0, and the short week seems to favor the home team.
I was leaning towards going the under here, but I can see some garbage time points being scored by the Redskins. 16 points is a hefty spread to cover, but with the combination of Dalvin Cook and the Vikings defense that may get some opportunities to score some points themselves, I expect the Vikings to pull away early. I can see a 33-7 or a 31-10 type of game in this one, and because of that, give me the Vikings to cover 16. Don’t burn me Cousins!
