Minnesota will play on the road against the Panthers in a matchup of two division winners from a season ago. The Vikings are coming off a win against the Packers but will have a tough time in this one, as the Panthers will be the home favorites.
This contest in Week 3 of the regular season will go down Sunday, September 24, 2016, at 7 p.m. ET at Heinz Field.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Vikings +7
Panthers -7
Over/Under 43
Odds Analysis
Gamblers can often focus on the recent performances too much, and that could be the case in this one. The Vikings are getting 73 percent of the action to cover, and while there is some logic there since they are a solid club coming off a big win, the Panthers are dominant at home.
Even though the spread is pretty high, Carolina has a huge advantage at quarterback, and that could be the difference in covering late. The scoring total is low since both defenses are so stout.
Injury Report
Adrian Peterson -- The Vikings will be without a huge piece of their offense, as the star running back tore his meniscus against the Packers and is expected to miss a few weeks. Peterson has started the season slowly but is one of the most effective runners in the NFL.
Jonathan Stewart -- The Panthers are likewise expected to be without their starting running back, although Stewart doesn’t have the same natural ability. The Panthers should be fine if Cameron Artis-Payne and Fozzy Whittaker
Player to Watch
Cam Newton -- The Panthers generally go as their star quarterback does. He struggled in the opener against the Broncos and the team lost. The Vikings have one of the better defenses in the NFL, so this will be a legitimate challenge, but Newton got on track in last week’s win over the 49ers.
He is the reigning MVP and a matchup problem against even the best defenses. Newton isn’t great when he is forced to be a pocket passer, but teams are very rarely able to dictate how the Panthers play offensively.
Minnesota will need to harass Newton and keep him guessing, because if the passing game gets going, the Panthers are so hard to stop.
Free ATS Pick
Minnesota should be feeling good about itself at this point. The Vikings won the NFC North a year ago and seemed to be an up-and-comer, but a severe knee injury knocked quarterback Teddy Bridgewater out for the season before the work began.
The Vikings decided to try to salvage the season by trading for Sam Bradford, and he played well in the win over Green Bay. Minnesota will really be able to turn some heads if it could pull off this upset.
However, this would be a lot more manageable at home. The Vikings need to go on the road to face the defending NFC Champions who went 15-1 a season ago.
Star cornerback Josh Norman is gone and Carolina dropped its opener, but this is still one of the league’s elite teams. The Vikings will need to scratch out some points, and missing Peterson in the backfield allows the Panthers to focus on stopping the pass.
While most are expecting a close game as evidence by the money coming in on the Vikings, the Panthers should be able to wear down Minnesota. Take the Panthers to cover even with the seven-point spread, as a late field goal should push this one to double digits.
NFL Odds: Panthers 27, Vikings 17
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