Sunday, September 21, 2014

Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

In case you haven't heard the Vikings have been in the news this week and it's not for precision crisp passing or developing an innovative zone blitz scheme. RB Adrian Peterson has been un-reinstated which is a welcome sign to the Saints, battling some issues of their own. The only switch New Orleans needs is one possibly involving their defensive secondary as Matt Ryan and Brian Hoyer have torched them in consecutive weeks to send the Saints off to a disappointing 0-2 start.

It's been a tale of two Cassels for the Vikings to start 2014. In the season opener the QB was 17/25 with 170 yards and 2TD with 0INT and the efficient play opened up a couple big runs for Cordarelle Patterson to lead a 34-6 wiping of the Rams. Last week Cassel tossed 4INT's and was just 19/36 while taking 6 sacks as New England won 30-7. It doesn't get any easier for the Vikings offense with Peterson out for the foreseeable future, but there's not a lot the team can do besides buckle up their helmets and go to work with who they got.

New Orleans find themselves 0-2, but it's a close 0-2 if there is such a thing. In week one Atlanta got an overtime win 37-34 over the Saints while last week the Browns snuck in with just :03 and captured the 26-24 victory with a 29-yard field goal. Jimmy Graham has earned his new contract so far catching 18 balls for 200 yards and 2 TD. The New Orleans offense should roll because all the sudden the Minnesota game becomes must win, especially with a four game stretch looming in a couple weeks against Green Bay, Carolina, San Francisco, and Cincinnati.

It will be interesting to see if the distractions of yet another week talking about Peterson take their toll on the Vikings like they did last week. It's almost a perfect storm of mishaps for Minnesota as they prepare to take on a Saints team that has only one thing on their mind - getting in the W column for the first time.

Minnesota Vikings Betting Trends

Minnesota Vikings are 1-1-0 Against the Spread

Minnesota Vikings are 0-2-0 against the Over/Under

New Orleans Saints Betting Trends

New Orleans Saints are 0-2-0 Against the Spread

New Orleans Saints are 2-0-0 against the Over/Under

Injuries to Watch

Minnesota Vikings

09/15/14 RB Adrian Peterson Legal problems is upgraded to probable Sunday vs. New Orleans
09/14/14 LB Brandon Watts Knee questionable Sunday vs. New Orleans
09/14/14 WR Rodney Smith Hamstring questionable Sunday vs. New Orleans
09/04/14 WR Jerome Simpson Suspension expected to miss weeks 1-3 of the regular season
09/04/14 S Mistral Raymond Concussion IR

New Orleans Saints

09/15/14 RB Mark Ingram Hand out indefinitely
09/14/14 FB Erik Lorig Ankle questionable Sunday vs. Minnesota
09/14/14 DB Marcus Ball Hamstring questionable Sunday vs. Minnesota
09/04/14 NT John Jenkins Pectoral out indefinitely
09/04/14 LB Khairi Fortt Undisclosed out indefinitely

Josh's Pick: Take New Orleans

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