NFL Preseason Week 2 Vikings at Seahawks – August 18th

The Minnesota Vikings opened their NFL preseason in fine fashion, overwhelming the Buffalo Bills by a 17-10 score. It was their solid defense and their evenhanded offense that dominated the rhythm of the game, keeping the Bills from mounting a challenge. Case Keenum went 11 for 16 for 121 yards, building a case to stay on the roster along with Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater. Dalvin Cook has some work to do, as he just picked up 13 yards on five attempts. The Seahawks made a huge statement in their opener, hanging 48 on the Los Angeles Chargers, and now they return for their home preseason debut. As you consider your NFL betting odds on this game, we have some advice on how to place your money.

NFL Preseason Week 2 Minnesota at Seattle – August 18th

   

When: Friday, August 18, 2017, 10:00 PM ET
Where: CenturyLink Field, Seattle
TV: NFL Network
Radio: KFXN 100.3 FM Minneapolis-St. Paul / KIRO 710 AM Seattle
Live Stream: NFL Game Pass
NFL Preseason Odds: Seattle -3, O/U 40.5

Why should you bet on the Vikings?

Minnesota’s defense was the most impressive part of their game in Buffalo. They hit Buffalo quarterbacks 11 times and racked up three sacks. They defended seven passes and had four tackles for loss. To be sure, Buffalo’s offense is not as solid as what the Seahawks will roll out there, but I also don’t see the Seahawks roaring out to a 34-point first half either, like they did a week ago.

 

The Vikings have a solid offensive line, and so if the running back corps can approach the task with a little more patience, those holes should open. The Seahawks do have a much better defense than the Bills, but hard work up front will open those holes, and Cook and his fellow running backs will have room to move the ball. If Bradford and Keenum are smart with ball management and don’t try to force the ball down the field until some opportunities open, the Vikings should be able to move the ball with some success against Seattle.

Why should you put your money on the Seahawks?

Seattle showed that their offense may be back with a vengeance this year, piling up 458 yards on the night. Trevone Boykin and Austin Davis split the quarterbacking duties for the most part, combining to go 19 for 24 for 299 yards and a score and a pick, with Boykin adding another touchdown with his legs, gaining 31 yards on the run. Kasen Williams caught all four balls on which he was the target and averaged 29.8 yards per reception.

And what about that Legion of Boom? The Seattle secondary yielded an average of 18.2 yards per completion for the Chargers. Bobby Wagner, Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and K.J. Wright all saw the field — and there were times when Philip Rivers was able to find open receivers down the field. Case Keenum is no Philip Rivers, but Bradford can get the ball in some tight spaces when he has the time to sit back in the pocket. If you like Seattle in this game, then you see the defense taking some strides so that they play with the same vigor as their offense and produce some similarly eye-popping numbers.

NFL Preseason Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

Last week, I thought the Seahawks might come out a little subdued playing on the road in a soccer stadium, and I thought their focus would not be quite where it needed to be. We saw how far off the mark that prediction was. Now that Seattle returns home, I like them to make another statement in front of their fans. Minnesota will likely have some payback in mind after that playoff loss a couple of seasons ago, but I’m not sure it matters, given the talent that Seattle has. I like the Seahawks to beat the Vikings and cover that spread, winning by a 27-20 margin.