Written By: The PersianThe Minnesota Vikings get set to take on the Philadelphia Eagles as both teams close out the preseason Saturday night inside Lincoln Financial Field from Philadelphia, PA. They kick it off at 1:00 pm as both teams close the preseason and get set for their regular season openers.
Bookmaker has installed the Eagles as a slim -1-point favorite. The total is 33 1/2.
The Vikings will most likely go to their backup quarterback in this one and not risk starter Sam Darnold to any type of injury. He was thrust into the starting quarterback position after rookie J.J. McCarthy went down for the season. Darnold is still very young, well-traveled, and has started a handful of games in the league, so he provides experience to a team that needs it.
The Vikings are 2-0 in the preseason, and they have shown they can move the ball well and score points. They have scored 51 points in two games so far. They will play this one thoughtfully and not show too much of their offense, but their defense will make some plays against an anemic Eagles offense that has had issues running the ball.
Nick Mullens will most likely take snaps under center in this one. Against Cleveland last week, he went 11-for-21 for 135 yards and a touchdown toss. The offense gained over 300 yards, while the defense held the Browns in check and only surrendered 12 points in the win.
The Eagles' offense has not been lighting up the scoreboard this preseason, but they would love to get into some type of groove before they open the season against the Green Bay Packers in Brazil. The Eagles' offense last season came out like gangbusters, but then they really fell off late in the season. The team took a nosedive and dropped five of six to close out the season before being shocked against Tampa Bay in the NFC Wild Card.
Again, do not be surprised if the Eagles rest their starters and ensure they are healthy and ready for week 1. Look for the backups to get some heavy reps in and for players on the fence or the bubble to try to make an impact and catch the coaching staff's attention.
The Eagles will also try to get their ground game rolling, so we expect to see a heavy dose of Tyrion Davis-Price, who rushed four times for 28 yards against New England last weekend. He has shown some flashes here and there. Tight end Joseph Ngata has been very solid, but he is also dealing with an ankle injury. This could be a low-scoring game, especially if the Vikings sit their starters as well, which most likely is the route they are going to take.
The Eagles' win total is 10 1/2 in 2024, and their odds to win the NFC East sit at -140, and they are the clear favorites to claim the division. The Eagles went 11-6 in 2023, and if they had not had that wrong end in the regular season, they could have won at least 13 games. The Vikings play in a very competitive division, and their NFC North odds sit at a monster +850, the longest in the division. Their win total sits at 6 1/2 after finishing 2023 with a dismal 7-10 mark.
