It was not long ago that the Vikings were being viewed as true competitors for the NFC North. Sam Darnold was playing at a level not seen previously in his career. When they met the Lions in Week 7, they hung tough before losing by but two, 31-29. The offense was humming to match a stingy defense. The Vikings were truly one of the surprises in the NFL.
Today, Minnesota is still a more than respectable 7-2, but a bit of the shine has worn off the Vikings. It probably has more to do with Darnold’s play than anything else as the one-time USC Trojan has been a turnover machine of late throwing 5 interceptions the last two weeks in games against Indianapolis and Jacksonville. In those games, Darnold and the Minnesota offense totaled just 33 points, a far cry from their average of nearly 27 points per game (26.9) through their first seven games.
The Tennessee Titans (2-7) have their own issues under center. The hope is that second-year signal-caller Will Levis is the future. The reality is he has yet to look the part for more than an instant now and again. The Tennessee offense has scored 20 or more points just twice this season and Mason Rudolph was the quarterback for the majority of both those games. In the Titans’ last game, Levis was back at quarterback. He completed 18 of 23 passes for 175 yards with 2 TDs and 0 INTs. He also ran the ball 5 times for 41 yards. Those numbers are positive, but the point production once again was lacking as the Titans fell to the Chargers 27-17.
This week, Levis and company face an aggressive Vikings’ defense. Let’s dive into the stats and trends and find a sweat or two.
How to Watch Minnesota Vikings @ Tennessee Titans
· Date: Sunday, November 17, 2024
· Time: 1:00 PM ET
· Site: Nissan Stadium
· City: Nashville, TN
· TV/Streaming: CBS
For all the latest updates and betting analysis on this matchup, NBC Sports has you covered. Be sure to check out our expert insights, live odds, and predictions for this NFC vs. AFC clash.
Latest Game Odds for Minnesota Vikings @ Tennessee Titans
The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:
· Moneyline: Minnesota Vikings (-250), Tennessee Titans (+205)
· Spread: Vikings -6
· Total: 39.5
The Vikings opened as 6.5-point favorites with a Total set at 41. Both have dropped as money has come in on the Titans and the UNDER. Both defenses are stingy, and the Tennessee offense is not a quick strike outfit.
NBC Sports Bet Best Bets
The last 2 weeks the Vikings have had issues scoring touchdowns. This week they face a Titans’ defense that ranks 1st overall in the NFL, but they rank 29th in the league allowing 26.7 points per game. A chunk of those points is the result of an inordinate number of turnovers by the offense and the Tennessee special teams giving up too many sizable returns.
Fun Fact: No team’s defense ranked #1 overall has allowed more points than the Titans in the history of the NFL.
The Game Total UNDER 39.5 makes sense. Expect it to cash so long as Will Levis does not turn the ball over as these 2 defenses have not been susceptible to chunk plays and short scoring drives. The clock should tick as the two sides grind out drive after drive.
Minnesota Vikings @ Tennessee Titans betting trends and stats
· The Titans have failed to cover in 6 of their last 8 home games.
· The Vikings have won 4 of their last 5 games against AFC teams.
· The Vikings are 6-3-0 against the spread and 3-6 to the OVER this season.
· The Titans are 1-8 against the spread and 5-4 to the OVER this season.
Quarterback Matchup for Minnesota Vikings @ Tennessee Titans
· Vikings: Sam Darnold – threw 3 INTs last week at Jacksonville without a TD pass. His play has dipped of late with 5 of his 10 INTs happening in the last two weeks.
· Titans: Will Levis – returned to the field for the 1st time in a month. Was sacked 7 times in the loss to the Chargers but did complete 18 of 23 passes for 175 yards with 2 TDs.
Player News & Injuries
Vikings
· RB Aaron Jones (ribs) is questionable for Sunday’s game.
· LB Gabriel Murphy (knee) is questionable for Sunday’s game.
Titans
· CB L’Jarius Snead is questionable for Sunday’s game.
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest and tools for the NFL, including game predictions, player props, futures, and trends!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
· Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
· Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
· Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
· Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
