In this article, we’ll provide you with our top football betting picks for the Week 8 Thursday Night Football game between the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings. We study the odds, betting lines, teams, and players to give you our recommended betting picks to beat the New Jersey sportsbooks.
You might also like
Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings (-16) – O/U: 42
Thursday, October 24, 2019 – 8:20 p.m. EST
TNF Week 8 Betting Pick: Vikings (-16)
The Washington Redskins head North to face the Minnesota Vikings on a short week. Both starting quarterbacks will be facing their old teams, giving this mismatch some spark. We have seen the Redskins be competitive in each of the last two weeks, but this time will be different. Our top betting pick is for the Vikings to win this game and cover the spread. Let’s dive into the numbers to see why we’re heading down that path.
TNF Week 8 Betting Lines: Redskins at Vikings
Unsurprisingly, the majority of bettors are in favor of the Vikings over the lowly Redskins. 63 percent of public bets/83 percent of all money wagered is going in that direction. Because of the way Minnesota has played recently, it’d be tough to suggest otherwise to these folks.
Redskins Betting Form
Case Keenum finds himself back at U.S. Bank Stadium for the first time since the Minnesota Miracle. This was the unbelievable 61-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs that sent the Vikings to the 2017 NFC Championship Game. Since then, there haven’t been a lot of good moments in Keenum’s football career – especially this season with the Redskins.
Keenum is now steering an offense that has per-game averages that rank fourth-fewest in total yards (267.6), second-fewest passing yards (182.9) and third-fewest points (12.9) in the NFL. If that wasn’t enough, RBs Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson are both listed as questionable for this game. Not only are the two starting quarterbacks facing their old teams, but Peterson returns to Minnesota where most of his future Hall-of-Fame career has been spent.
The big problem for Redskins’ defense has been stopping the run, and things won’t be any easier on Thursday. Washington ranks sixth-worst in the NFL, allowing 134.4 rushing yards per game. If the Skins want to have any chance of keeping this game close, stopping the run must be emphasized.
Vikings Betting Form
As we mentioned, that Redskins’ run defense has been pounded this season. That’s great news for a Vikings team that ranks third in the NFL with 160.0 rushing yards per game. RB Dalvin Cook leads the NFL with 725 rushing yards and has more yards per carry (5.5) than anyone with at least 85 carries. Not only is Cook toting the rock, but backup RB Alexander Mattison has 270 rushing yards and 4.9 yards per carry as well.
We talked about this last week, but QB Kirk Cousins has struggled a bit in games that aren’t played at 1:00 p.m. EST. There’s been made more of it recently, as Cousins has a very-routine oriented life. He doesn’t have OCD, but it’s not far off. And this is a real thing. Now, you have to wonder how he’ll play in not only a primetime game but only having three full days to prepare. Although, Cousins has been quoted as saying he plays better when he’s ticked off, and there’s no other feeling he could ever have towards the team that drafted him and didn’t give him a long-term contract. Cousins will also likely be without WR Adam Thielen, who left Sunday’s game against the Lions with a pulled hamstring.
The Vikings’ defense has been quite solid, allowing sixth-fewest total yards per game (327.9), sixth-fewest points (17.6) and rushing yards (90.0). They do rank right in the middle of the NFL for passing yards allowed (237.9). However, the Redskins probably won’t be able to do much in that regard.
TNF Week 8 Betting Pick: Vikings (-15.5)
The trend of Cousins not playing at 1:00 p.m. EST is obviously troubling, but we think he’ll be fine against the Redskins. Playing his former team should give him plenty of motivation. Not to mention, the Vikings’ rushing attack has a huge advantage in this matchup against the Redskins’ defense.
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Over/Under |
| Vikings | –1000 | -16 (-104) | Over 42 (-110) |
| Redskins | +600 | +16 (-118) | Under 42 (-110) |
SugarHouse odds at the time of publishing
