Steve Starr
- The Minnesota Vikings (5-1) are 3.5-point home favorites over the Arizona Cardinals (3-4)
- Justin Jefferson is on pace for the fourth-highest receiving yards (1,853) in NFL history this season
- The Week 8 game on FOX will kick off from U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, October 30 at 1pm ET
With the demise of Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, the Minnesota Vikings could be the new kings of the NFC North. Leading the division at 5-1 and coming off a Week 7 bye, Kevin O’Connell’s crew will host a Cardinals team coming off a 42-34 victory over the Saints on Thursday Night Football.
Before we check the odds on this all NFC affair, here’s where you can find the best Super Bowl betting tips and the top betting sites for NFL football in 2022.
Vikings vs Cardinals
 | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
| Arizona Cardinals | +3.5 (-105) | +167 | Ov 49 (-108) |
| Minnesota Vikings | -3.5 (-115) | -192 | Un 49 (-112) |
Drama in the desert?
Don’t let the scoreboard fool you. Arizona’s offense did not come to life in last week’s 42-34 win over New Orleans. Their season-best point total was the result of two pick-six’s thrown by Andy Dalton. However, at least DeAndre Hopkins looked good in his debut, catching 10 passes for 103 yards.
Kyler Murray threw for only 204 yards and a touchdown, and was caught on camera telling Kliff KIngsbury to “Calm the f— down” on two occasions. If there’s any QB who can relate to tension with his head coach, it’s Murray’s Week 8 opponent, Kirk Cousins, who toiled in an acrimonious relationship with former bench boss Mike Zimmer.
Lmao Kyler Murray telling Kliff to “calm the fuck down!!” 😂 pic.twitter.com/pQT0vaSWhI
— Khaled Abdallah (@khaled74) October 21, 2022
Cousins not playing his best
While the Vikings are winning under new coach Kevin O’Connell, Kirk Cousins’ numbers have slipped compared to recent years. The 34-year-old is averaging only 250.3 passing yards per game – 57 ypg fewer than his career-best in 2016. And he has a pedestrian 9-5 TD-INT ratio after putting up a 35-13 split in 2020 and 33-7 last season.
As always, Cousins’ mission will be feeding Justin Jefferson. The All-Pro receiver is averaging of 109 yards per game through the first six year contests. A 17-game pace that would put him at 1,853 yards – the fourth-highest mark in NFL history.
Vikings vs Cardinals
Arizona is a 3.5-point road underdog and oddsmakers expect points in this one, setting the game total at 49. Minnesota’s defense is giving up 384.5 yards per game, sixth most in the league, and the Cardinals don’t trail too far behind at 359.7 (11th).
However, the Vikings’ offense has a tendency to fall asleep, producing 10 three-and-outs in their last game against Miami. They also rank 30th in explosive play rate, taking an average of 8.9 plays per TD drive this year, fifth highest in the league. For that reason, we like the UNDER 49 on Sunday.
Someone come get Kirk Cousins 😂
pic.twitter.com/JosJp9mNVQ— PFF (@PFF) October 16, 2022
Best Bet
While they’re only one of four NFL teams with one loss this season, Minnesota’s schedule has been exceptionally soft to date. In their one game against a quality opponent, the Vikings were blown out by the Eagles 24-7. Meanwhile, Arizona lost a close 20-17 contest to Philly at home.
Kevin O’Connell’s club is well rested after a bye, but so are the Cardinals after playing on Thursday Night Football in Week 7. We like Arizona to keep it within a field goal on Sunday.
Final Score Prediction: Vikings 23, Arizona 21
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
