Arizona Cardinals (1-0) vs Minnesota Vikings (0-1)
Game Info: Sunday, September 19, 2021 at 4:05 pm (State Farm Stadium)
Betting Odds: Arizona Cardinals -3.5 -- Over/Under: 50 Click Here for the Latest Odds
Where to Watch: FOX Stream live sports and exclusive originals on ESPN+. Sign up now! 
The Minnesota Vikings will travel to State Farm Stadium to take on the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday afternoon in NFL action.
The Minnesota Vikings dropped to 0-1 on the season after being defeated by the Cincinnati Bengals, 27-24, this past Sunday. Minnesota was able to fight back from a double-digit deficit in the 4th quarter to force OT, however, Cincinnati was able to secure the victory after Evan McPherson made a 38-yard FG with just :04 seconds left in OT. Minnesota outgained Cincinnati by a 403-366 margin, however, lost the turnover battle by a 1-0 margin.
Offensively, Minnesota was led by QB Kirk Cousins who completed 36 of 49 passes for 351 yards & 2 TD’s. The top receiving threats for the Vikings were Adam Thielen (9 rec, 92 yards, 2 TD), K.J. Osborn (7 rec, 76 yards), Justin Jefferson (5 rec, 71 yards), & Tyler Conklin (4 rec, 41 yards). Leading the way for the Vikings backfield was Dalvin Cook who finished the game with 104 total yards (20 car, 61 yards, TD; 6 rec, 43 yards).
Defensively, Minnesota did a solid job of getting pressure on Joe Burrow as they registered 5 sacks, however, still allowed the Bengals offense to gain over 400 yards against them. Leading the way for the Minnesota defense was Eric Kendricks (15 tackles), Nick Vigil (10 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL), & Michael Pierce (7 tackles, 2 sacks).
The Arizona Cardinals had one of the more impressive showings in the opening week as they improved to 1-0 after defeating the Tennessee Titans, 38-13. Arizona dominated Tennessee on both ends of the field throughout the game and had no trouble securing the victory after going into halftime with a 24-6 lead. Arizona outgained Tennessee by a 416-248 margin and won the turnover battle by a 3-1 margin in the victory.
Offensively, Arizona was led by QB Kyler Murray who completed 21 of 32 passes for 289 yards, 4 TD, & 1 INT while also rushing for a TD. The top receiving threats for Murray and the Cardinals were DeAndre Hopkins (6 rec, 83 yards, 2 TD), Christian Kirk (5 rec, 70 yards, 2 TD), & Rondale Moore (4 rec, 68 yards). Leading the way for the Cardinals backfield was the duo of Chase Edmonds (12 car, 63 yards; 4 rec, 43 yards) & James Conner (16 car, 53 yards).
Defensively, Arizona was outstanding as they held Derrick Henry to just 58 rushing yards on 17 carries and put a tremendous amount of pressure on Ryan Tannehill which limited him to just 212 yards passing. Leading for the Arizona defense was Chandler Jones who registered an incredible 5 sacks.
The Vikings are 0-8 ATS in their last 8 games overall and 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games. The Cardinals are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games in September, however, are just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games.
Arizona was outstanding in week 1 and should have a good season, however, I think they are going to face a tougher test this week a very explosive Vikings offense. Minnesota has some dangerous weapons, led by Devlin Cook, who I think should have a big role in the Minnesota passing game and as I think the Arizona secondary is going to get exposed more than what we saw against the Titans, I think Minnesota can match the Arizona offense and do enough to cover with the points.
Brett’s Pick Minnesota Vikings -3.5
AUTHOR: Brett Nault
Mitch's Take...
