Of the seven head coaches new to the NFL in 2018 only one has yet to record a victory. Mike Vrabel has the most Super Bowl rings among the bunch, winning three as a standout linebacker with the Patriots, but his Tennessee Titans have yet to secure his first victory. Vrabel and the Titans will attempt to rectify that in the Week 4 preseason finale against the Minnesota Vikings, but it won’t be easy since the Vikes are 16-4 in exhibition games under Mike Zimmer.
This preseason Week 4 matchup will take place on Thursday, August 30, 2018, at 8 p.m. ET at Nissan Stadium.
NFL Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Minnesota Vikings +1
Tennessee Titans -1
Over/Under 35.5
Odds Analysis
The Titans have yet to win this preseason going 0-3 SU and ATS, but they opened as a 1-point favorite against one of the best tune-up game teams in the league. Under Zimmer the Vikings are 16-4 during the preseason, but they are just 1-5 ATS in their last six exhibition contests. The total opened at 35.5.
Quarterback Rotation
The Vikings like what Kyle Sloter can do and he’s quickly earning a spot in the heart of offensive coordinator John DeFilippo. Sloter threw two fourth quarter touchdown passes to get Minnesota past Seattle last week, however, he remains third on the depth chart behind starter Kirk Cousins and Trevor Siemian. Cousins was happy with his work last week, throwing for 182 yards, but Siemian struggled.
Despite putting up better numbers than Siemian, Sloter is destined to be the No. 3 signal-caller. The Vikes have stashed a third QB on their roster that past few years and given Siemian’s inconsistent play, Sloter is a snap away from taking over. Zimmer doesn’t typically use his top two in the final preseason game, so Sloter will get an extended look. The Vikings also have rookie Peter Pujals on the roster, but he has yet to take a preseason snap.
The offense was supposed to be more dynamic under new coordinator Matt LaFleur, who helped the Rams post the most points in the league last year. Marcus Mariota had a strong start to the preseason, but things unraveled last week, showing there is still work to be done. But Mariota and the first team will have to wait until the regular season to correct those issues.
Blaine Gabbert is the undisputed backup and he was solid in last week’s loss, throwing for 158 yards on 16 of 24 passing with the Titans lone score. We’re not sure how Vrabel is going to administer playing time on Thursday, but expect to see plenty of rookie Luke Falk. The Washington State product has played in all three exhibition games going 19 of 34 for 182 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Coaching History
Zimmer doesn’t go out of his way to win during the preseason, but he does emphasize to his squad the importance of practicing the way you play. And that has definitely worked for him and the Vikings, in the preseason and during the regular year.
Minnesota pulled out a narrow 21-20 victory last week over Seattle, failing to cover as a 3.5-point favorite, and the Vikings are just 1-5 ATS in their last six preseason tilts. They are 7-2 SU and ATS on the road under Zimmer with the under going 6-2-1 in those games.
Free ATS Pick
Sloter was a preseason sensation last year with Denver and he’s been equally good this year. The Vikings grabbed him after he was waived by the Broncos and they haven’t been disappointed. We can expect him to play at least a half as he continues to build his credentials while waiting for that first regular season game.
Tennessee’s first-team played well in the first two preseason games, but the reserves weren’t as lucky. That’s a bad sign for a team looking for depth. It’s hard to overlook what the Vikings have done in the preseason under Zimmer and you don’t win 80 percent of your games by chance. The Titans will have to wait at least another week before getting their coach a victory.
NFL Betting Odds: Vikings 17, Titans 10
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