The Minnesota Vikings (4-4) are riding a 3-game winning streak, but are starting over after losing quarterback Kirk Cousins for the season with a torn Achilles. The first step in that journey begins when the Vikings travel to play the Atlanta Falcons (4-4) at 1 p.m. ET Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in a game broadcast on FOX. Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Vikings vs. Falcons odds, and'make our expert NFL picks and predictions.
The Vikings have been one of the hottest teams in the league, winning 3 straight games and 4 of their last 5. The defense has been playing much better, but an offense without Cousins and superstar Justin Jefferson has crippled Minnesota’s offense and made life difficult for a team that enters play as the No. 7 seed in the NFC and the 3rd Wild Card team.
The Falcons started 2-0, but have gone 2-4 since. They’re coming off a 28-23 loss to Tennessee and ended up benching QB Desmond Ridder and will start journeyman Taylor Heinicke this week. The Falcons haven’t been getting the most out of high draft picks Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson, which may well have contributed to their recent struggles.
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