With Aaron Rodgers out for the next couple of weeks, the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions are licking their chops, eager to cash in on the opportunity Rodgers’ vacancy has left in the division. Of the two, the Vikings have the upper hand in the NFC North, with a handful of wins over the Lions. However, if you were to poll the best sportsbook players on the planet, some might be willing to pick the Lions over Minnesota. The Vikings are contending with a backup for a backup and their offense isn’t the greatest, ranking 13th in the league in terms of scoring. And when compared against Matt Stafford, it’s clear that Detroit might have a leg up on the Vikings. But Minnesota has the better defense and they also have a lead over the Lions at the moment. Ultimately, it will be up to Minnesota to hold on to that lead as the season progresses. Can they retain the lead by picking up a win over the Washington Redskins this Sunday?
Betting Washington
The Redskins come into this Week 10 matchup flashing a 4-4 record that ranks the franchise 3rd in the NFC East, behind the 5-3 Dallas Cowboys and 8-1 Philadelphia Eagles. Many sports betting websites accurately predicted that the NFC East would be amongst the toughest divisions in pro football and so far the division hasn’t failed to live up to the preseason hype. Nonetheless, the Redskins haven’t been finding the success they’ve been wanting to considering that the team is barely sitting at .500. However, the Redskins’ 5 losses on the year have been against some of the top competition in the NFL; two losses against their rivals the Philadelphia Eagles, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Dallas Cowboys. Those two Ls against Philly will make winning the division almost impossible, since the Eagles already have so much over Washington. Nonetheless, if the Redskins were to mount a respectable win streak, they would very much be in the Wild Card conversation.
Betting Minnesota
The Vikings march into this upcoming weekend’s game sporting a 6-2 record that gives them the lead in the division. Specifically, Minnesota is a couple games ahead of the 4-4 Detroit Lions. But with Detroit coming off a win over the Packers, the Vikings will want to make sure that they are in the winning column come Sunday night. The best offshore sportsbooks on the web are picking Minnesota over Washington, which is a bit surprising considering their quarterback situation. The Vikings are contending with Case Keenum, who is the back up for Sam Bradford, who was the original backup of Terry Bridgewater. The Redskins on the other hand, have Kirk Cousins – the man they habitually place on the franchise tag to keep around because they know he’s talented but still refuse, somehow, to give him the big bucks. Some NFL pundits who place sportsbook bets tend to shy away from Cousins, claiming that he has confidence issues that keep him from getting it done in the clutch. But for this weekend, Cousins might just be good enough to merit an upset bet versus the Vikings.
Best Sportsbook Betting Lines & Odds:
Washington Redskins +1 ½ (-117) 42 ½ (-115)
Minnesota Vikings -1 ½ (-103) 42 ½ (-105)
