Sunday Showdown: Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings Betting Preview
The 2019 NFL season is here, with games kicking off this weekend starting on Thursday. There is a full slate of games on Sunday, and that is where we find a terrific matchup in the NFC. The Minnesota Vikings will be hosting the Atlanta Falcons in the season opener in what will be a battle of teams looking for a huge bounce back season. The Falcons have struggled to win games on the road in recent seasons, and the Vikings have one of the best home field advantages in the NFL.
Minnesota had a remarkable run through the playoffs in 2017, and they were one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl last season. The Vikings just couldn’t put together any long winning streaks, and they also couldn’t get past the Chicago Bears. Minnesota finished the 2018 season with a record of 8-7-1 and were forced to watch the playoffs at home on their couch. Atlanta was also a team that had great odds to make the playoffs a season ago, but things went south in a hurry for this team. The Falcons finished the 2018 season with a record of 7-9, and they also dealt with a ton of injuries. Atlanta comes into this season with everyone healthy, and they will be looking to make a return to the playoffs. The Minnesota Vikings are -3.5 point favorites over the Atlanta Falcons in this game.
Falcons Can Score Some Points
The Atlanta Falcons have an aging quarterback and wide receiver, but they are also two of the best offensive players in the NFL. Quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receiver Julio Jones are one of the top duos in the entire league, and should connect on a bunch of passes this season. Finding a solid running back has been tough for the Falcons, and they have struggled with injuries as well. If the Falcons are going to make a return to the playoffs this season then they are going to need to score plenty of points. Atlanta did struggle on defense a season ago, and that unit has let them down in recent seasons. The Falcons will be taking on a solid offense in this game, and their defense will have to show up to keep this one close.
Vikings Need Their Defense to Show Up
The Minnesota Vikings had the best defense in the NFL in 2017, but that wasn’t the case a season ago. The VIkings still only allowed 21.3 points per game, but that wasn’t good enough to pick up an offense that struggled at times. Minnesota will be returning almost all of their starters on that side of the ball, but facing a potentially great Atlanta Falcons offense in week one won’t be an easy task. The Vikings gave up less than 200 passing yards per game a season ago, and their pass defense will be a key in this game. Quarterback Kirk Cousins had a solid year in 2018 with the Vikings, and should be even better this season. The Vikings will also have running back Dalvin Cook back on the field to begin the season, which should help out their offense. Don’t be surprised to see the Vikings score a ton of points this season.
Vikings Win Season Opener
Both the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons should be much better this season, and each team will factor into the playoff picture in the NFC. The Falcons will be trying to win games with their high powered offense, while Minnesota wants to get the job done with their terrific defense. This game could play a huge role in deciding the playoff picture in the NFC, even if it is just week one. Look for this to be a close game, but the Vikings will eventually pull away at home. Bet the Minnesota Vikings -3.5 over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
When you go to bet on the Vikings, head to our favorite pay per head bookie location at https://www.realbookies.com/
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