Minnesota Vikings (0-3) at Carolina Panthers (0-3)
Line: Vikings by 5. Total: 46.5.
Sunday, Oct. 1, 1:00 PM
The Matchup. Edge: None.
HATE MAIL: We're going to post hate mail here this year. Here's some more from our old friend Nephtali Diaz:
Do you guys want me to do what Nephtali is proposing? Should I buy someone else's picks (he's paying $699 per month, lol) and then plagiarize them? Nephtali thinks this is the only correct course of action. Of course, I assume his plan is for me to give him $699 per month so he can relay the picks to me, but that's just a guess. Anyway, the conversation continued...
Imagine not knowing "more right than wrong" is greater than 50/50.
In the words of Nephtali's meme guy: "Bruh."
MINNESOTA OFFENSE: There are some huge injury question marks on this side of the ball. The Panthers were leading in the third quarter at Seattle when disaster struck. They lost both their top linebacker, Frankie Luvu, and best safety, Xavier Woods, to injury. Luvu's absence was especially brutal because Shaq Thompson was also out. Plus, Luvu is the heart, soul and brain of the Panthers defense. When he was lost, the Panthers were suddenly out of position all the time and couldn't defend anything the Seahawks were doing.
It's unclear if Luvu and Woods will be able to play. If they can't, I imagine the Vikings will be able to score on almost every possession unless they self-destruct and commit unforced errors. The Panthers are especially poor against the run, so Alexander Mattison could have the best game of his disappointing season thus far.
If Luvu and Woods are able to return to action, the Panthers will be able to at least limit Kirk Cousins and the passing attack. The Vikings will still have some success here because Justin Jefferson is too good, but Carolina has an excellent pass rush with Luvu on the field, and we all know how poorly Cousins handles pressure.
CAROLINA OFFENSE: It's still too early to say this will definitely be the case, but reports indicate that Bryce Young will sit another game. If so, this is a positive for the Panthers, as Young has looked like a thrift-store version of Kyler Murray. Andy Dalton, on the other hand, was excellent at Seattle, considering how poorly his offensive line is constructed.
Dalton won't have to worry about pressure very often in this game because the Vikings rank dead last in pass rush. Dalton will have all the time he needs to locate his receivers, especially Adam Thielen, who will be out for revenge against a poor secondary.
The Panthers will also succeed in running the ball. The Vikings can't stop the run either, ranking 27th against it, so Miles Sanders, like Mattison could have his best game yet.
RECAP: This is a game where the injury report will be extremely important. The status of Luvu and Woods is essential to Carolina's ability to remain competitive with the Vikings. If both are on the field, Carolina will be able to at least slow down Minnesota a bit. If they're both out, the Vikings will be able to score at will.
Then again, I expect the Panthers to have plenty of success offensively against Minnesota's 25th-ranked defense. Dalton showed last week that he still has some juice left, and I have no doubt that he can engage in a shootout with Cousins.
I'm going to be on the Panthers regardless because a poor team like the Vikings shouldn't be relinquishing four key numbers. My unit count will depend on the health of the Carolina defenders.
THURSDAY THOUGHTS: Some bad news for the Panthers: Frankie Luvu and Xavier Woods failed to practice Wednesday, and to make matters worse, Bryce Young had a full practice and will replace Andy Dalton. This line has moved to +4 as a result of this latest development. I have less interest in betting the Panthers.
SATURDAY NOTES: I had questions about Frankie Luvu and Xavier Woods heading into this game. Woods has been declared out, while Luvu is questionable after being DLL in practice this week. The line has been moving in Minnesota's favor, and I believe this could be the right way to go. I have no interest in betting this game.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Frankie Luvu is active, so I'm OK with backing the Panthers. I won't bet them, but if you want to, you can get +5 at Caesars. There's been a bit of sharp action on the Vikings, but nothing substantial.
