Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Week 2 Odds, Lines, Picks & Best Bets
- Who: Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles
- When: Thursday, Sept. 14 (Week 2)
- Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
- Where: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA)
Betting Odds Summary
- Moneyline: Vikings +220, Eagles -270
- Spread: Vikings +6.5 (-120), Eagles -6.5 (-102)
- Total: Over/Under 49.5 (-105/-115)
Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook. Subject to change.
Week 2 of the 2023 NFL schedule kicks off with a Thursday Night Football showdown between two NFC contenders.
The Minnesota Vikings travel to the City of Brotherly Love after suffering a stunning 20-17 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. The Philadelphia Eagles, on the other hand, return home after holding off the New England Patriots in a rain-soaked 25-20 affair.
After going 14-3 and making it all the way to the Super Bowl last year, the Eagles still have one of the best all-around rosters in the NFL and are expected to make another title push this season. They currently have the third-best championship futures odds at FanDuel (+800), behind only the Kansas City Chiefs (+600) and San Francisco 49ers (+750).
The Vikings had a similar record last year (13-4) but flamed out in the playoffs and are not considered serious title contenders this season. They rate in the middle of the pack with +4000 Super Bowl odds.
Will Philadelphia win its home opener and improve to 2-0? Or will Minnesota bounce back in a short week to upset the reigning NFC champs?
Moneyline
Not surprisingly, the Eagles enter Week 2 as a considerable home favorite on the moneyline. Including the playoffs, Philadelphia was 9-2 on its home turf last season.
Both teams played down to their competition in Week 1. The Eagles nearly blew a 16-0 lead against the Patriots and were fortunate to escape Foxborough with a win, while the Vikings lost a winnable game at home against a mediocre Bucs squad.
Offensively, both teams are potent and have surrounded their quarterbacks with top-tier talent. Minnesota has the league’s best wide receiver in Justin Jefferson, while Philadelphia boasts an impressive trio of pass-catchers in A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert.
Under center, however, the Eagles have a significant advantage. Jalen Hurts nearly won the MVP last year and is probably the best dual-threat quarterback in the game. Kirk Cousins puts up good stats for the Vikings, but he’s inconsistent and has notoriously struggled during primetime games.
Philadelphia is also much stronger defensively, sporting one of the top overall units in the game. Minnesota’s defense is not a strength and will likely have a hard time containing the Eagles’ playmakers.
With a superior run game as well, Philadelphia is clearly the better team in this matchup and is our moneyline pick here.
Point Spread
The spread for this week’s game is set at 6.5 points in favor of the Eagles, which means they’re favored to win by about a touchdown. In other words, they must win by at least seven points (a touchdown and an extra point) to cover the spread.
Even though Philly only won by five points last week, winning by seven points or more is certainly attainable for the home team.
It’s worth remembering that these two teams played each other last year under eerily similar circumstances. Not only was it during Week 2, but it was also the Eagles’ home opener, and it took place during primetime. Philadelphia dominated that game, going up big early and cruising to a 24-7 victory.
A similar game script could play out this time around as well. Cousins’ issues in night games are well-known, as he’s just 11-18 in primetime (Hurts is 4-1, by comparison). He’s also 29-39-2 on the road, which works in the Eagles’ favor here as well.
As the better team, Philadelphia is certainly capable of winning by at least a touchdown at home, especially if Cousins struggles again versus the Eagles’ pass rush. Philly shouldn’t have much trouble putting up points, while Minnesota may struggle to score on the road against an elite defense.
Over/Under Total
The Over/Under for this game is set at 49.5, which is fairly high. As mentioned, these teams combined for just 31 points in their meeting last year, with neither side scoring a point in the second half.
With offensive stars on both sides, the sportsbooks are clearly expecting some fireworks in this game. Bettors rooting for points may be disappointed, however, after these offenses combined for 42 points last week.
While the Eagles should be able to score fairly easily in this game against the Vikings’ middling defense, Minnesota may not score enough to hit the Over. The Vikings’ offense is clearly less dangerous this year without Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook, meaning Cousins has fewer weapons to work with. Jefferson is amazing, obviously, but it’s worth remembering that Philly held him to just six catches and 48 yards last year.
The Eagles had their way with Cousins last year, intercepting him three times and picking him off twice. If he doesn’t take better care of the football and limit his mistakes, Minnesota’s offense won’t be able to keep up.
With the Vikings likely to struggle on offense, the Under is the safer play here.
Player Prop
With so many star players suiting up, there’s no shortage of player props to choose from in this game. One that jumps out to us is the Under on Jalen Hurts’ passing yards prop of 248.5.
That number may not seem daunting, but it’s on the high side for Hurts. He only threw for 170 yards in Week 1 and has never averaged 248 passing yards for a season.
Even last year, Hurts hit the Under more often than not, eclipsing 248 passing yards in just six of his 18 games (including playoffs).
While Hurts has improved tremendously as a passer since coming into the league, he often doesn’t throw the ball enough to hit the Over on this prop, typically settling for around 30-35 pass attempts per game (he had 33 in Week 1). The Eagles also like to run the ball, including Hurts himself.
Assuming Philly wins this game fairly comfortably, Hurts shouldn’t have to throw the ball much in the second half as the Eagles’ running backs kill the clock, making the Under on his passing yards prop more likely.
Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
