The Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings face off on Sunday in a Week 4 NFL showdown at U.S. Bank Stadium. Kevin Stefanski got his coaching start with the Vikings and this will be his first time returning to US Bank Stadium since taking the Browns job.
The Minnesota Vikings are only a few kicks away from being 3-0 but instead, they are 1-2 heading into this game. In the last game they fell behind against the Seattle Seahawks but the offense never stopped fighting. The Vikings shut out the Seahawks in the second half and they came away with the 30-17 victory. Kirk Cousins is having a big year and the offensive line protecting him has been a big key. Cousins has thrown for 918 yards and eight touchdowns so far this year. One big question for this offense heading into thai game is the status of Dalvin Cook who is questionable for this game. In the last game, Alexander Mattison rushed 26 times for 112 yards.
On the other side of this matchup is the Cleveland Browns who have looked impressive to start the season and the only loss came against the Kansas City Chiefs, and even in that game they were leading for a good part of the game. In the last game against the Chicago Bears, the Browns defense was impressive, giving up only six points, and made life tough for rookie Justin Fields. Baker Mayfield is having another nice season throwing for 780 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt have been quite the 1-2 punch out of the backfield too.
The Browns are 3-7 against the spread in their last 10 games overall. The Vikings are 5-2 against the spread in their last seven games against teams with a winning record. The under is 5-2 in the Browns last seven games as a favorite. The over is 5-1 in the Vikings last six games overall.
This game for both teams is going to come down to the defense. The Vikings defense was impressive in the second half against the Seahawks and they will continue their success in this game. Kirk Cousins still isn’t getting the credit for the success he is having, this season, but I expect he is going to have another big game. The home-field advantage is also a real advantage for the Vikings and that will be another factor that will help the Vikings find success. Take the Vikings on the money line for the extra value.