Minnesota Vikings vs Cleveland Browns Prediction NFL Picks 8/17/24

In this article we will formulate a Minnesota Vikings vs Cleveland Browns prediction for this NFL Preseason game on Saturday, August 17th at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this preseason battle in week two. 

Minnesota Vikings Betting Preview

The Minnesota Vikings are 1-0 this year after they defeated the Raiders by a score of 24-23 in their last game. Minnesota trailed 20-7 at halftime, but they scored 17 points in the second half for the one point win. The Vikings out gained Las Vegas by a total of 452-308 and they went 5-15 on third down in the game. JJ McCarthy threw for 188 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, but he is out with an injury. Jaren Hall threw for 63 yards, while Sam Darnold threw for 59. Kene Nwangwu rushed five times for 52 yards and one score. 

Minnesota went 0-3 in the 2023 preseason, which started with a 24-13 loss to Seattle. Minnesota dropped game #2 by a score of 24-16 against Tennessee and finished with an 18-17 loss to Arizona. With McCarthy out, we should see a series or two from Sam Darnold, before Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall finish out the game under the center. 

Cleveland Browns Betting Preview

The Cleveland Browns are 0-1 this preseason after they lost to Green Bay by a score of 23-10 in the opening game. Cleveland cut the deficit to 7-3 in the first quarter, but they allowed the next 16 points for the loss. The Browns were out gained by a total of 375-244 and went 6-13 on third down in the game. Dorian Thompson-Robinson went 14-18 for 134 yards, while Huntley added 41 yards and Winston threw for 30. John Kelly and Pierre Strong Jr. rushed for 15 yards each. 

Cleveland went 1-2-1 in the preseason last year, which started with a 17-15 loss to Washington in the Hall of Fame game. The Browns did defeat the Jets in the next game by a score of 21-16, before tying the Eagles at 18 in the third game. Cleveland finished the preseason with a 33-32 loss against KC. Deshaun Watson is not expected to play in this game, so we should see more of Winston, Huntley, and Thompson-Robinson. 

Minnesota Vikings vs Cleveland Browns Prediction 

Minnesota was able to play a very solid second half against the Raiders in their first game to get the win, but losing McCarthy is not ideal for them here. Minnesota got quite a bit of production from McCarthy in that first game, but they will now rely on Mullens and Hall to carry most of the load. On the other side, the Browns did not play very well last week and will look for more offense here. We probably won’t see much of Winston, but we should see plenty of Huntley and DTR. DTR played very well last week, in my opinion, and I think he will be able to lead Cleveland to a very solid second half. My Minnesota Vikings vs Cleveland Browns prediction is for the Browns to cover. 

David Racey's Pick: Browns -3