The Los Angeles Chargers and Minnesota Vikings are set to face off Sunday in what should be an exciting game. Currently, Minnesota is the favorite in this one at -1.5.
Minnesota comes into this game with a 9-4 record, while Los Angeles is 5-8. The Chargers do have two wins at home while Minnesota is 3-4 on the road. Minnesota is 7-6 ATS, while Los Angeles sits at 4-8-1 ATS.
Minnesota has had trouble on the road ATS. The Vikings sit at 3-4 on the year. They have a little bit more success hitting the over/under, coming into Sunday’s action with a 4-3 mark. Hitting the over/under has been hard for Los Angeles at home, as it is 1-5 on the year.
Minnesota has upper hand head-to-head
Over the last three games head-to-head, Minnesota has the advantage with a 2-1 record. The Vikings are even better ATS, as they sit at 3-0. They have outscored the Chargers 27.67-18.33.
If there’s one thing the Chargers have the upper hand in, it is in the passing game. They attempt 43.33 pass attempts per game. With a 60 percent completion rate, they have passed for 265.33 yards per game.
Last time out
In their last time out, Minnesota defeated Detroit by a 20-7 score. Minnesota had everything clicking last Sunday as the three-headed offensive attack carried the day.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins had a great day, passing for 242 yards. Dalvin Cook was able to pace the running game for Minnesota. He had 62 yards on the day, which was certainly a viable contribution to balance out the passing game.
Wide receiver Stefon Diggs kept continuing to play at a high level. He finished with nine catches for 92 yards, averaging 14.3 yards per reception.
In their last game, the Los Angeles Chargers were firing on all cylinders. They defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars by a 45-10 score. Philip Rivers had a great day for Los Angeles, going 16-of-22 on the afternoon and throwing for 314 yards and three touchdowns.
Austin Ekeler provided a major spark in the running game. He carried the ball eight times for 101 yards, averaging 12.6 yards per carry. He also was the leader in the receiving game, catching four passes for 112 yards and a touchdown. An 84-yard reception was his longest of the afternoon.
Keenan Allen was able to provide a nice complement to the rushing attack. He caught five passes for 83 yards.
Prediction
Minnesota should have the upper hand in this game. Cousins has found his groove late in the season, and that should spell disaster for the Chargers’ defense. Although they have weapons on offense, the Chargers don’t have enough firepower to get it done.
Defensively, Minnesota can get the job done as well. The Vikings have a decent secondary and a plethora of pass-rushers to get the job done. Even on the road, Minnesota should provide a challenge. They seem to be firing on all cylinders right now, and that is bad news for Los Angeles. I would feel comfortable taking Minnesota in this matchup.
