The Los Angeles Chargers look to continue their momentum from beating the Philadelphia Eagles with a win over the Minnesota Vikings. Sunday’s game at SoFi Stadium has huge ramifications for their respective divisional hopes, and the US sportsbook are expecting a tight battle.
The Chargers are the 2½-point favorites and, despite the lofty 53 point total, we could be in for a low-scoring defensive battle.
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Minnesota Vikings NFL Odds by BetUs
Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Vikings | +3 ( -105 ) | 53 ( -110 ) | +145 | ![]() |
Chargers | -3 ( -115 ) | 53 ( -110 ) | -170 | |
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Vikings Looking to Rebound
Losing consecutive games in the NFL can be a recipe for disaster, which is the case for the Minnesota Vikings. Back-to-back losses to the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens have seen the Vikings NFL divisional odds drop slightly to +850, but still trail far behind the Green Bay Packers at -3300.
Despite losing those games, they could have won both. They lost to the Cowboys 20-16 as field-goal favorites. Then, as six-point underdogs last week, dropped an overtime heartbreaker to Baltimore 34-31. The Ravens’ loss is one that will haunt the Vikings, who had the game in their control.
The defense weakened throughout the game, which allowed Lamar Jackson to have his way in the fourth quarter.
“I thought we were actually playing pretty well on defense,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer told ESPN. “Then we got kind of worn down.”
The Vikings face a similar Chargers team, who possess excellent offense. Stopping Justin Herbert won’t be easy, but the Vikings play the Chargers well.
We think the Vikings could struggle to score touchdowns, so kicker Greg Joseph could see plenty of action. We like the option of the longest field goal being over 46½ yards, which is becoming the norm for most kickers in the NFL.
Pick: Longest Field Goal Scored in the Game – Over 46½ Yards (-125)
Herbert Leading the Charge
Justin Herbert is having an excellent sophomore season. He comes off a 32-38 performance against the Eagles, and we think he’s playing better than Kirk Cousins, despite the statistics reading differently.
Herbert has thrown 18 touchdowns and six interceptions, which is a good clip. Cousins has thrown 16 touchdowns and only two interceptions, but he has looked out of his depth in clutch situations throughout his career.
Despite being the much younger quarterback, Herbert has full control of his offense and he knows what are the correct plays to run. Herbert, and his Charger teammates, put consecutive losses behind them when beating the Eagles, and the Vikings are now in their sights.
There are no easy games in the league, but the Chargers are 5-3 ATS, so they have returned bettors plenty of profit.
“It’s the NFL, they’re all tough games,” Herbert told ESPN. “It’s all about how you handle adversity. Every game is a tough game and you have to have your best.”
It’s not all about Herbert, but we’re looking at NFL betting odds that directly affect the quarterback. The sportsbook has a plethora of exotic betting options and we like the look of Chargers touchdown as the first scoring play.
We think the Chargers will hit a quick touchdown pass and shock the Vikings straight out of the gate. It pays +170, so bettors get good value for their buck.
Pick: First Scoring Play of the Game – Chargers Touchdown (+170)
Defense Could Be the Talking Point
We’re choosing to overlook the poor defensive numbers for the Vikings and Chargers, and hope they cancel each other out.
Minnesota ranks 27th in total yards with 383.6 per game, but the defense is much better in the red zone. The Vikings are 17th in the NFL in points allowed, so the Chargers could have to settle for field goals.
The Chargers allow 25.1 PPG, but they are the third-best passing defense team. Kirk Cousins will be throwing the ball with frequency, so the Chargers could force turnovers.
We think this will lead to a low-scoring game, especially if they decide to run the ball.
The marquee matchup is all about Cousins vs Herbert, but it’s about time the defenses stood up and made some plays. Therefore, we’re taking the value with the NFL odds and selecting the under — which has crept up from its open of 52½ to the more generous 53.
Pick: Under 53 (-110)
Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Chargers NFL Pick
It should be a tight contest, but we don’t have much faith in Kirk Cousins coming up clutch when it matters. We also have concerns about decisions being made by coach Mike Zimmer, so the Los Angeles Chargers are the play.
They got their confidence back last week and Herbert manages the game well. We expect some defense to be played, so it could be decided by a late field goal.
Bettors might benefit from a little patience, as earlier money poured in on the Chargers, driving the point spread from its open of 2½ up to the full three points. While laying the field goal is an available option, that number might come back down as the weekend approaches. Consider the three, but maybe wait for the 2½ or at least the juice to come back down.
Vikings vs Chargers Pick: Los Angeles Chargers -3 (-115)
Another option for those interested in action is to parlay laying the points with the Chargers and under the total of 53 for odds better than +250.
Parlay: Los Angeles Chargers -3 and Under 53 at +250