The Denver Broncos are still a team in search of a quarterback, as they brought Teddy Bridgewater to town in the offseason to compete with Drew Lock for the starting job. The rest of their roster is fairly solid, but without that signal-caller in place, they have had a hard time competing in the AFC West. They open their offseason in Minnesota, taking on a Vikings team hoping for a rebound by their defense. The Vikings’ offense is relatively solid, with quarterback Kirk Cousins and tailback Dalvin Cook keying the skill positions.
How will they fare in their preseason opener? Check out our NFL betting preview.
NFL Preview: Denver Broncos at Minnesota Vikings
When: Saturday, August 14, 2021, 4:00 PM ET
Where: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
TV: NFL Network
Radio: KOA 850 AM Denver / KFAN 100.3 FM Minneapolis-St. Paul
Live Stream: FuboTV
NFL Odds: Denver -2.5 / O/U 34 ½
Why should you bet on the Broncos?
Drew Lock is expected to start at quarterback for Denver. Given the fact that he has played here the last two seasons, it is his due. However, Teddy Bridgewater will get plenty of time as well, as the team has just three preseason games, in addition to camp, to determine which quarterback should lead the offense. The tailback group has Melvin Gordon, Javonte Williams and Mike Boone, so expect all three of them to get a significant amount of time.
The real questions for Denver come on defense. The Broncos’ defense has a reputation as an ironclad group, but things have slipped a little bit the past two seasons. Denver is hoping that Von Miller can turn back the clock and show his elite form, and that Bradley Chubb will finally start rising toward that high ceiling the Broncos saw for him when they drafted him. Patrick Surtain II comes to the team from Alabama, and the Broncos’ hope is that he is their next shutdown cornerback.
Why should you put your money on the Vikings?
The top offensive position groups for Minnesota are tailback and tight end. Dalvin Cook is at the top of the depth chart, thanks to his elusiveness when he finds space as well as his lateral agility. Alexander Mattison is the short-yardage back, who likes to pound the ball and gain yardage after contact. Kene Nwangwu came in the fourth round of the 2021 draft out of Iowa State, and his corner acceleration and overall speed have impressed. At tight end, Irv Smith Jr has progressed in his route running, and Tyler Conklin should get more action as well after the release of veteran Kyle Rudolph. Expect Cook to get a minimal amount of action, perhaps a series or two, before Mattison and Nwangwu take over — but don’t expect a lot of dropoff.
The defensive issues for Minnesota continue. The group of safeties, beyond starters Xavier Woods and Harrison Smith, lacks experience. Camryn Bynum, a rookie out of Cal, is learning the position after playing cornerback in college. The Vikings will use this game to evaluate what they have and determine what they need to pursue in the free agent market as the regular season approaches. Because of this focus on evaluation, it would not surprise me to see the Vikings get a score or two with their first group on offense and then spend the rest of the game seeing what combinations work on both sides of the ball, instead of worrying about the final score.
Final Score and Betting Prediction
The Vikings seem to have their corner pieces in place and are looking to fill around the edges, while the Broncos have some deeper questions to answer about their roster going forward. For that reason, I see the Broncos doing more to compete while the Vikings look to evaluate. I predict a final score of Denver 20, Minnesota 13.
NFL Betting Odds
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