Minnesota Vikings (6-2 SU, 5-3 ATS) vs. Washington Redskins (4-4 SU, 3-5 ATS)
Week 10 NFL
Date/Time: Sunday, November 12, 2017 at 1PM EST
Where: FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland
TV: Fox
By Loot, NFL Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Point Spread: MIN -2/WAS +2
Over/Under Total: 42.5
The Minnesota Vikings come to FedEx Field on Sunday for an NFC battle with the Washington Redskins in week 10. The Vikes have started the season 6-2, followed by a bye-week. Their last game was a 33-16 road win over the Browns in week 8. They now turn their attention to a Redskins team that scored a much-needed win on Sunday on the road against Seattle to go to 4-4 on the season and stop a bad stretch of games. With just over a minute left after the Seahawks took the lead, Washington took the ball right down the field for the big win. Another good win this week against a streaking Vikings team would be invaluable for the Redskins.
You have to hand it to the Vikings. With all kinds of personnel issues, they have managed to thrive. They are having issues in a lot of different areas, but losing their starting QB and a good rookie back in Dalvin Cook were tough blows to take and they have recovered well. Things get a little tougher from here, with their last three games being home wins. They will play 4 road games in the next five weeks starting here and this is where we will see if the Vikings are for real or if they've just managed to patch things up nicely over the past month. Their offense has been able to maintain pretty well, while their defense might be one of the better-rounded units in the league.
We could see Sam Bradford or even Teddy Bridgewater soon, but Case Keenum has been doing a decent enough job to make it a less-urgent crisis than some may have thought. Having a healthy Stefon Diggs at receiver will be a big boost, with Adam Thielen having played pretty well. In the run-game, Jerick McKinnon and Latavius Murray have both shown they are ready to carry on with the RB-duties in Cook's absence. Really helping bring it all together is a vastly-improved offensive line that has been good in keeping the opposing pass-rush in check, while helping spring loose the run. Keenum's mobility has also helped, as he is quite adept at side-stepping and evading defenders. At 22.4 points per game on average, they're right in the meaty part of the curve, but with the defense they bring to the table, this side of the ball doesn't need to be great.
The Minnesota defense has been really good thus far in 2017—tough against the run, as well as the pass, while also making a ton of big plays. In the secondary, Xavier Rhodes, Terence Newman, Andrew Sendejo, and Harrison Smith have been excellent, as has been Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr in the middle. Up-front, Everson Griffen was named defensive player of the month and has ten sacks this season. On the other end, Danielle Hunter is also a factor, with DT Linval Joseph doing the dirty work inside. They are giving up an average of less than 17 points a game.
The Redskins really showed a lot of moxie on Sunday. With Seattle taking the lead late, it looked like the Redskins would fall to 3-5. With some tough games coming up, that may have been too much to overcome. To see Kirk Cousins strike the way he did against a defense that had kept them in-check for most of the game was a major feat for the 'Skins. They had almost 200 yards less than Seattle, but they just hung in there and grinded away until breaking through in the end with the big win.
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The Redskins offense didn't have a great game, but they delivered when they needed to. Cousins was 21-for-31 with 247 yards, but he didn't make a ton of mistakes, took a beating, and pounced at the most opportune time. WR Josh Doctson isn't catching a lot of balls, but when he does, they're usually big ones and he had a few on Sunday. Robert Kelley ran for two touchdowns on the ground. Vernon Davis had some big plays on the day, but left the game with a hand injury. Also, getting Jamison Crowder and Jordan Reed back would be nice, as they both missed the last game. Robert Quick was big late, along with Doctson. Cousins really had to battle, dealing with the fallout of so many losses on his line and against a home Seattle "D" that can really bring the heat.
The Washington defense did pretty well, limiting Seattle to 14 points despite the Seahawks being pretty productive. They held Seattle to 5-for-14 on third downs. Will Compton and Kendall Fuller each picked off Wilson passes. The middle was good with Zach Brown, Will Compton, and Ryan Kerrigan. The secondary has gotten a little healthier and DeAngelo Hall was disruptive on Sunday. Up-front, Terrell McClain had a sack, with Brown adding one. After a rough patch of games, Sunday was important for the Redskins. They weren't that clutch, allowing a late Seattle score, but it all worked out in the end and allowing 14 points on the road is a solid showing.
It might not even matter, but it's hard to not remember the seemingly horrible affect the bye week had on Minnesota last season. After a 5-0 start, they went into the bye and never looked the same again. Even if that's not a factor, this is a tough stretch for the Vikes, with 4 of their next five on the road. I see a hard-fought battle, where points might not be that easy to come by. I'm taking the "under."
Loot's Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I'm betting that the Minnesota vs. Washington game will go under 42.5 points. Tired of your credit card not working for sportsbook deposit? End that problem today and bet the Minnesota vs. Washington game by signing up at Bovada Sportsbook where your credit card WILL work and where you'll receive a generous 50% sign-up bonus!
