Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles Prediction: Can Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Get Back on Track in TNF?

Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles Prediction: Can Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Get Back on Track in TNF?

In Week 1, the Minnesota Vikings were nearly a touchdown favorite at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but they were unable to come away with a win. If you just look at the box score from that game, you would think the Vikings won by at least 10 points as they outgained the Buccaneers 369 to 242, but penalties and turnovers were their downfall as Minnesota racked up six penalties for 45 yards and turned the ball over three times.

Vikings vs. Eagles Date, Time, and Where to Watch

• Date: September 14, 2023
• Time: 8:15 pm ET
• Where to Watch: Prime Video

Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles Prediction

Kirk Cousins actually played quite well as he completed 33 of 44 passes for 344 yards and two touchdowns, but again, this strong performance was overshadowed by the fact he turned the ball over three times, which effectively lost the Vikings the game. I fully expect Kirk Cousins to rectify those mistakes tonight against what looks like a shaky Philadelphia Eagles secondary.

In the Eagles' opening game of the season, they went into New England and took down the Patriots by a score of 25-20, but it wasn't a cakewalk. The Eagles were actually up 16-0 nothing at one point before being outscored 20-9 from the second quarter on. New England had a shot to win the game with the ball at the Eagles 20-yard line, but their fourth and 11 heave from Mac Jones fell short, sealing the game for Philadelphia.The Patriots outgained the Eagles 382 to 251, and Jones threw for 316 yards and three touchdowns. Mac Jones has had an up-and-down career to this point and put up these numbers with a less-than-stellar receiving core at his disposal.

Now the Eagles will be tasked with defending Justin Jefferson, who is arguably the best receiver in the entire league, and the Vikings also have a strong supporting cast at the receiver position, including Jordan Addison, KJ Osborn, and TJ Hockenson at the tight end position. The Vikings did allow two sacks, which led to two fumbles by Cousins, so the Vikings will have to rectify their pass protection ahead of this Thursday Night Showdown, but if they can give Cousins ample time to throw in the pocket, I foresee him tearing apart this Eagles secondary which is dealing with some major injuries.

Jalen Hurts' play in Week 1 is also of some concern to me as he only threw for 170 yards and only rushed for 37. The Eagles' offense simply did not look as smooth or explosive as they did at the beginning of last season, so they may be going through some early-season growing pains. The Vikings did not force any turnovers against Tampa Bay in Week 1, and I think they are due for some positive regression in the turnover department tonight.

The bottom line for this game is that the Vikings are a much better team than what they showed in week 1. They have an extremely explosive passing offense with one of the top receivers in the league against a secondary dealing with major injuries, so I expect the Vikings' offense to feast and keep this game somewhat close in what should be a high-scoring affair. With that being said, I am rolling with Minnesota +7 at -125 (I bought the hook, still like 6.5) for 1.5u as my most confident NFL play of the day.

Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles Pick

1.5u Minnesota +7 -125 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick

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