When it rains it pours, and right now the Minnesota Vikings are getting drenched. The last NFL team to lose a game, they may now be the last team to win a game. The Vikings lost their fourth straight, falling in Washington on Sunday, and were hit again by the injury stick. While we expect Sam Bradford to go down one of these weeks, he’s the guy attempting to hold the team together as it goes through a brutal stretch. Trying to break the slide doesn’t get any easier with the Arizona Cardinals up next in a Week 11 clash.
Watch this regular season Week 11 matchup live on Sunday, November 20, 2016, at 1 p.m. ET at U.S. Bank Stadium.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Arizona Cardinals 0
Minnesota Vikings 0
Over/Under 40.5
Odds Analysis
It’s been a rough go for the Vikings who have gone 0-4 SU and ATS after starting the year 5-0 in both categories. We certainly didn’t expect Minnesota to go undefeated after their hot start and we certainly don’t expect them to lose the remainder of their games. But the injuries have caught up and the luck has run out. This one opened as a pick em and the public is favoring the visitors with 65 percent of the bets in their favor. The Cardinals haven’t been overwhelming this season and this one truly is a toss-up.
Injury Report
Eric Kendricks – Minnesota’s group of linebackers may be thinned after Kendricks left Sunday’s game with a hip injury. His loss in the middle of the defense allowed the Redskins to use their tight ends and backs more in the passing game and was a big reason why the Skins were able to run for 128 yards against a defense that surrenders less than 100 for the season.
Xavier Rhodes – The Vikings may have lost their top corner to a concussion after Rhodes collided with a teammate in Sunday’s game. He’s been the shutdown corner for one of the best defensive units in the NFL and his loss could impact Arizona’s play calling, especially when it comes to the passing game. His replacement, Mackensie Alexander, was immediately targeted surrendering three completions for 49 yards.
Matchup to Watch
Mike Zimmer is playing MacGyver trying to patch his offensive line together with duct tape and paper clips. More ingenious methods are in order after yet another lineman was felled due to injury over the weekend. With starting tackles Matt Kalil and Andre Smith already on injured reserve, the Vikings signed former No. 1 pick Kyle Long a few weeks ago. Long’s career has been derailed by injuries, but he was healthy and Zimmer took a chance by signing him. The move was more out of necessity than anything, but it seemed to be working.
Now, the Vikings’ search for help up front will continue as Long suffered an Achilles injury on Sunday. Long was inserted into the starting lineup just two weeks after signing and was playing in just his fourth game. Again, adjustments to the line have to be made to a unit that has done nothing in the run game. The Vikings average fewer than 70 yards per game on the ground and if they can’t discover an attack, Bradford will be left hanging against a Cardinals defense that likes to bring the pressure with standout edge rushers in Chandler Jones and Markus Golden.
Free ATS Pick
The Vikings have done a complete reversal and their prospects for turning the season back around look dim after another slew of injuries hit close to home this past weekend. The defense, which had been the rock of the team, took a hit when Rhodes and Kendricks left the game and if they are out for any length of time, the group will suffer. Bradford has done a remarkable job considering he has no run game and a beat up offensive line to work with, but he can’t do it all by himself.
The Cardinals need to string a few wins together to become visible in the playoff picture and their effort last week against a dismal San Francisco team didn’t inspire a lot of confidence. But the silver lining was the reemergence of the passing game, which had taken a back seat to David Johnson’s heroics. Carson Palmer nearly gave the game away, but in the end, he engineered a Palmer-esque drive to help pull out the victory. Minnesota is hurting and the injuries will definitely play a part in the Cards victory with the teams playing above a low total.
NFL Odds: Cardinals 24, Vikings 20
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