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Houston Texans at Minnesota Vikings NFL Betting & Picks

Written by Jimmy Boyd on November 1, 2008

Both the Houston Texans and the Minnesota Vikings have the same goal in mind for this football game: win and get to the .500 mark for the season. Odds makers feel it will be the Vikings achieving that goal this Sunday. The Minnesota Vikings are listed as 5-point favorites with the total set at 47.

The Vikings come into this contest off a bye week hoping to see a better effort from their defense while the Texans look for their fourth straight win of the season and their first on the road.

Minnesota’s defense gave up 48 points in a pre-bye week loss to the Chicago Bears. However, for the most part the defense has been solid, ranking eight in the NFL in yards allowed (290.1) and second against the run (70.7).

Minnesota’s offense totaled a season-high 439 yards against the Bears which is good news for a unit which was struggling to score points early on. QB Gus Frerotte was 25 of 40 for 298 yards and two touchdowns, but his four interceptions were costly. Star running back Adrian Peterson is second in the NFL with 684 rushing yards. He carried 22 times for 121 yards and two scores in the loss.

The defense could get a boost this week with the return of safety Madieu to the playing field. The free agent signed a six-year $33 million deal in the offseason and is expected to make his long-awaited debut. The contract made Williams one of the highest-paid safeties in the NFL. He has missed action thus far recovering from a nerve problem in his neck which developed in early August.

The Vikes have won their only ever meeting with the Texans, a 34-28 overtime in October of 2004. It does bode well for the Vikes that the Texans are winless on the road thus far. If you like Minnesota to come out strong after its bye week, bet the Vikings at -5 at Bookmaker and receive a 20% cash sign up bonus.

Houston has come back from the dead after an 0-4 start, rattling off three straight home wins. Houston outscored Cincinnati 21-0 in the second half of a 35-6 rout last Sunday. The win gave the Texans its first three-game win streak in franchise history. They have won four straight once when you take the last two games of the 2006 season and combine them with the first two of the 2007 season.

While the Texans boasted a franchise-record 8-8 season in 2007, it still wasn’t enough to get them out of the AFC South gutter. Unfortunately, the Texans are trying to build a winning franchise in a division which boasted three 10-win teams which all made the playoffs. With Indianapolis and Jacksonville not yet playing to their 2007 form, Houston has a shot at its best finish in the division in franchise history and perhaps even a playoffs berth.

Offensively, Pro Bowl wide receiver Andre Johnson has been carrying the load. He’s had at least 131 receiving yards in each of his last four games as he appears to be on his way to another Pro Bowl season.

Former No. 1 overall draft pick, defense end Mario Williams is carrying the torch on the defense. Williams was a big part of Houston’s best defensive performance of the season last week, limiting the Bengals to a single-digit point total and allowing a season low 253 yards. The Texans know that was against the winless Bengals and holding down the Vikings on the road is going to be a much tougher task. If you think Houston is up to the challenge, bet the Texans at +5 at Bookmaker.

Jimmy Boyd’s Week 9 NFL picks are up and ready for action. Get your bets in now on all of his premium winners to beat the NFL lines this week. Jimmy Boyd makes NFL betting a piece of cake with the unmatched resources that he has at his fingertips.

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