The Minnesota Vikings finished last season with a record of 13-4 which led to an NFC North Division Championship, however, the Vikings were eliminated in the NFC Wild Card round at home against the New York Giants by a score of 24-31.

Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks finished last season with a record of 9-8 which led to a 2^nd place finish in the NFC West and a spot in the NFC Playoffs, however, the Seahawks were eliminated on the road by the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 23-41.

BookMaker has the Seattle Seahawks listed as 2.5-point favorites at home against the Minnesota Vikings and has set the total for the over/under plays at 35.5 points. Which team will come away with the win in this matchup on Thursday? Let’s take a look at how these teams are expected to fare this season.

Minnesota Vikings Team Preview

The Minnesota Vikings finished in 1^st place in the NFC North for the 1^st time since the 2017 NFL season. The Vikings finished last season 7-10-1 ATS overall, 3-3-1 ATS on the road, and 1-4 ATS as an underdog.

Offensively, Minnesota ranked 8^th in points per game with an average of 24.89 points. The Minnesota Vikings ranked 29^th in rushing yards with an average of 95.67 rushing yards per game. The Vikings ranked 4^th in passing yards with an average of 264.17 passing yards per game.

Defensively, the Minnesota Vikings ranked 30^th in points allowed with an average of 25.44 points allowed per game. Minnesota ranked 21^st in rushing yards allowed per game with an average of 124.17 rushing yards. The Vikings ranked 31^st in passing yards allowed with an average of 266.89 passing yards allowed per game.

Seattle Seahawks Team Preview

The Seattle Seahawks finished in 2^nd place in the NFC West behind the San Francisco 49ers with a record of 9-8 which earned them a spot in the NFC Playoffs, however, they were defeated by the 49ers by a score of 23-41 in the Wild Card round. The Seahawks were 7-11 ATS overall, 4-5 ATS at home, and 1-5 ATS as a favorite.

Offensively, the Seattle Seahawks ranked 10^th in points per game in the NFL with an average of 23.89 points. Seattle ranked 18^th in rushing yards with an average of 119.28 rushing yards per game. The Seahawks ranked 12^th in passing yards with an average of 231.17 passing yards per game.

Defensively, the Seahawks ranked 25^th in points allowed per game with an average of 24.56 points. Seattle ranked 30^th in rushing yards allowed with an average of 151.94 rushing yards allowed per game. The Seattle Seahawks ranked 17^th in passing yards allowed with an average of 217.72 passing yards allowed per game.

Series Trends and Game Pick

Seattle has won seven of the last ten games in the series and has won by an average score of 24.3 to 21.5 while both teams are 5-5 ATS in those matchups. The Seahawks have won two of the last three games in the series, however, the VIkings have outscored the Seahawks by an average of 28.67 to 27 points per game while going 2-1 ATS the spread in those contests.

The total is 5-5 in the last ten games in the series with the teams combining for an average of 45.8 points per game in those contests. The under has hit in two of the last three games in the series with the teams combining for an average of 55.67 points per game in those matchups.

Seattle has been the better team in the series, winning seven of the last ten and two of the last three games. The Seahawks have won by an average margin of 2.8 points per game over the last ten games in the series. As a result, I am buying the .5 point and taking the Seattle Seahawks -2 on BookMaker for this matchup on Thursday night.