Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings Line
The Minnesota Vikings will be going after their first win of the season when they host the Arizona Cardinals Sunday.
Odds makers have given the Vikings the slight advantage, listing them as a 2.5-point favorite with the total set at 44.5.
Minnesota has been in every game it has played this season, but it has come up short in each. The Vikings have lost each of their four contest by seven points or less.
Last Sunday, they fell 22-17 on the road to the previously winless Kansas City Chiefs.
Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin combined for 147 rushing yards but it wasn’t enough.
Donovan McNabb completed 18 of 30 passes for 202 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
Visanthe Shiancoe led the Vikes with six receptions for 58 yards.
Since opening the season with a win over the Carolina Panthers, the Cardinals have endured three consecutive losses. Last week’s 31-27 loss to the New York Giants was especially tough to take as the Cards held a 10-point lead with under four minutes remaining.
The big story for Arizona was a running attack that racked up 156 yards. Beanie Wells led the way with 138 of those yards and three touchdowns.
Kevin Kolb completed 20 of 34 pass attempts for 237 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Star wideout Larry Fitzgerald was on the receiving end of eight of those completions for 102 yards.
While Minnesota would prefer to grind out a win with Peterson, it figures to have a better chance moving the ball through the air this week. The Cardinals rank 26th in the league with 282.8 passing yards allowed per game.
They allowed Eli Manning to complete 67.5 percent of his throws for 321 yards with two touchdowns and no picks last Sunday. This means McNabb could be primed for a breakout game.
Minnesota has also been susceptible to the pass. It ranks 28th in the league with 286.2 passing yards allowed per contest.
It could be a long day for the Vikings if they can’t find a way to slow down Fitzgerald.
Jared Allen will do his best to help out the secondary by applying pressure on Kolb. Allen ranks second in the NFL with 6.5 sacks.
Minnesota has won eight of the last 10 meetings with Arizona with the most recent being a 27-24 overtime win at home on Nov. 7, 2010.
While the Vikings have dominated this series, it’s important to note that the Cardinals are 4-1 against the spread in the last five meetings. It’s also worth noting that the underdog is 5-0 against the number in the last five matchups.
In regard to the total, the over likely deserves some consideration. That because these teams have played to the over in four of their last five at Minnesota.
It is also interesting to note that the over is 11-0 in the Vikings’ last 11 Week 5 contests.
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