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The Minnesota Vikings are currently in line for the second seed in the NFC playoffs, but have reason to believe they can jump up to the top spot. A torn ACL to quarterback Carson Wentz was a big blow to the conference-leading Eagles last week, as they will aim to hold on to a one-game lead over Minnesota. The Vikings may need to win out to surpass Philadelphia, and that trek would begin in a Week 15 home matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals have not been able to put it all together this season and will be significant underdogs in this matchup. A two-game losing streak has pretty much knocked Cincinnati from playoff contention and it will need to find the motivation to have a good showing against a really good team on the road.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 15 game is set for Sunday, December 17, 2017, at 1 p.m. ET at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Cincinnati Bengals +11
Minnesota Vikings -11
Over/Under 42
Odds Analysis
The Vikings are heavy home favorites as they have been one of the better teams in the NFL all season. This is a large spread, but the betting public is buying in, as more than 63 percent of the action is on Minnesota to cover the spread.
The scoring total is pretty much middle of the road for an NFL game. Each side has a solid defense, but with some playmakers on offense there are bound to be some big plays. The “over” is getting the vast majority of the action early in the week.
Injury Report
Adam Jones — The Bengals placed the cornerback on injured reserve after he injured his groin against the Steelers on December 4th. Jones finished the season with one interception and four pass deflections in nine starts.
Dre Kirkpatrick — The Cincinnati cornerback missed Sunday’s game against the Bears with a concussion. The Vikings have some impressive wide receivers so the Bengals could really use as many healthy cover men as they can get
Vontaze Burfict — The Bengals linebacker was also out for last weekend’s game against Chicago with a concussion. Burfict suffered the injury in the loss to the Steelers two weeks ago during an illegal hit to the head on a block by Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Smith-Schuster was suspended one game for the hit.
Mike Remmers — The Vikings right tackle missed his fifth straight game last Sunday against his former team, the Carolina Panthers. Remmers has been sidelined for the last two games with a lower back injury and missed the previous three before that with a concussion. Rashod Hill has been filling in for Remmers.
Player To Watch
Adam Thielen — Even though big-name receivers A.J. Green and Stefon Diggs are playing in this game, it’s a different player who is among the league-leaders in receiving yards. Thielen has burst onto the scene this season with 74 catches for 1,056 yards and three touchdowns on the year.
He was a nice player the past couple of seasons but has taken a leap forward this year. Green is a superstar and yet Thielen has been better than him this season.
He went undrafted but has been a spectacular find and has helped quarterback Case Keenum be comfortable captaining the team without starting signal-caller Sam Bradford, who has missed most of the season with a knee injury.
Free ATS Pick
The Vikings have been too solid all season to pick against them, especially considering the game is at home. However, this spread is an overreaction to Cincinnati’s recent struggles.
While the Bengals aren’t a good team this season, they are better than the oddsmakers are giving them credit for. Take Minnesota to take care of business at home but Cincinnati to cover the spread. The “over” is the choice as there could be a flurry of points late to help push it past the projected total.
NFL Odds: Vikings 27, Bengals 20
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