Back when I did some NFL team previews this summer, I wasn't high on the Redskins or the Vikings. They both made the playoffs last season as 10-win teams, but both looked severely flawed. Minnesota had major questions at quarterback and was much too reliant on running back Adrian Peterson. Washington didn't have a very good defense and was much too reliant on quarterback Robert Griffin III. I'm patting myself on the back right now, because that all looks true as the disappointing clubs meet in yet another Thursday night NFL yawner -- there hasn't been a Thursday night matchup with two winning teams since Week 2 between the 1-0 Patriots and Jets.

I guess calling this a yawner isn't totally accurate as it's always exciting to see Peterson or RGIII play. I have a feeling the Vikings (1-7) are going to tune out lame-duck Coach Leslie Frazier soon if they haven't already. Washington (3-5), meanwhile, is still very much alive in the weak NFC East, just a game behind first-place Dallas in the loss column. The Skins don't deserve to be a playoff team if they can't win this one. The schedule gets much tougher from here on out, so Washington better win it.

Redskins at Vikings Betting Story Lines

Minnesota fell to 0-2 against the NFC East on Sunday but for the most part outplayed Dallas in a 27-23 loss. Christian Ponder got the start over Josh Freeman and played solid, completing 25 of 37 for 236 yards with a touchdown and a rushing score against his hometown team. The Vikings led 23-20 when Dallas took over at its 10 with 2:44 remaining. Tony Romo led an easy drive down the field, culminating in his game-winning seven-yard TD pass to Dwayne Harris with 35 ticks left. Adrian Peterson had one of his best games of the season, rushing 25 times for 140 yards and a score and catching three balls for 37 yards. He hadn't topped 13 carries or 62 yards in the previous three games.

Ponder, who has now rushed for at least one score in three straight games in which he has started, already has been named the starter for this one as it's starting to look as if the Vikings already have given up on Freeman, too. Or it could be that Frazier doesn't want to switch during a short week. Minnesota will be for sure without tight end Kyle Rudolph in this one as he could miss a month with a foot injury suffered against Dallas. He leads the team with three TD grabs and is second with 30 catches overall. The Vikes also might be without right tackle Phil Loadholt. He suffered a concussion vs. Dallas and was missed immediately. Replacement J'Marcus Webb promptly gave up a sack, after Loadholt left, in the end zone of Ponder on which the Cowboys would score a touchdown off Ponder's fumble.

Washington had its best all-around offensive performance of the season in Sunday's 30-24 overtime win over visiting San Diego. Fullback Darrel Young, a guy I honestly had never heard of (and that's rare), had three rushing touchdowns, including the winning four-yarder in OT. Alfred Morris rushed for a season-high 121 yards and a score. Griffin was 23-of-32 for 291 yards and a pick, with Pierre Garcon catching seven balls for 172 yards. It looked like Washington was going to lose in regulation when Bolts running back Danny Woodhead was ruled on the field to have scored late in the fourth quarter, but he was ruled out at the 1 on replay. Then San Diego couldn't manage to score a TD on three plays, settling for the tying field goal. Maybe that goal-line stand will be the turning points in Washington's season. The Skins appear to have left the game with no serious injuries.

RGIII probably became a true national superstar in last season's 38-26 home win over Minnesota in Week 6. He rushed for a career-high 138 yards, including a very memorable 76-yard TD dash around the corner in the fourth quarter that sealed the deal. It was the longest TD run by a quarterback in the NFL since Pittsburgh's Kordell Stewart went 80 against Carolina in 1996. Griffin also was an efficient 17-of-22 passing for 182 yards with a TD and an interception. Ponder threw it 52 times, completing 35 for 352 yards, two TDs, two picks (one returned for a touchdown) and a lost fumble. Peterson was held to 79 yards on 17 carries.

Redskins at Vikings NFL Week 10 Betting Odds and Trends

At BookMaker, the Redskins opened as 2.5-point favorites with a total of 48.5. Washington is 3-5 ATS (1-3 on the road) and 5-3 “over/under” (2-2 away). Minnesota is 3-5 ATS (1-3 at home) and 6-2 O/U (4-0 at home). The Redskins are 0-4 ATS in their past four after a straight up and ATS win. The Vikings are 0-4 ATS in their past four following an ATS win. They are 2-5 ATS in their past seven against teams with a winning record. The over is 6-0 in Minnesota's past six home games against teams with a losing road record. The underdog is 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings.

Free NFL Picks: Redskins at Vikings Week 10 Betting Predictions

Neither defense can stop anyone with the Redskins No. 31 in the NFL at 31.6 points allowed per game and the Vikings at No. 30 at 31.5. So the “over” seems an easy choice. I think Washington is an easy choice, too, as it is playing for something and Minnesota isn't. Plus those two Vikings injuries are significant.

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