Prime-Time First TD Bets — Sunday Night Football, Week 16
Alex Christenson
The Cincinnati Bengals kick off their 2021 season as underdogs once again as the Minnesota Vikings come to town. Joe Burrow returns from injury and hopes to get back to the top with the Bengals. The Vikings also hope to return to form from a disappointing 2020 season. With Week 1 closing in, the oddsmakers have the Vikings winning this matchup by a field goal.
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Minnesota Vikings vs. Cincinnati Bengals Team Week 1 Odds
Date/Time: September 12, 1:00 p.m. ET
Arena: Paul Brown Stadium
How to Watch: Fox
Opening Odds: Vikings -3 | O/U 48 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Latest Vikings-Bengals Odds
Looking for the latest odds for this matchup? Here they are, with the best prices from DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Vikings -3
- Total: 48
Opening Odds – Vikings vs. Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals season was turned upside down last year when Joe Burrow went down in Week 11 to end his rookie season. Even while Burrow was on the field, the Bengals were still coming in as underdogs for every game but one. The Minnesota Vikings split it down the middle ATS, as they were tabbed favorites in eight of their games, seven of which were at home. On the road was a different story for them, with the majority of spreads by just a field goal.
Quarterback Analysis – Kirk Cousins vs. Joe Burrow
Kirk Cousins and the Vikings finished last season 7-9, which was a disappointment, but Cousins threw for 35 touchdowns, the most touchdowns in his career. He tallied 4,265 yards and tossed 13 interceptions. With the duo of Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson at the wide receiver position, plus Dalvin Cook in the backfield, this offense is still dangerous with Cousins. The performance that Cousins put up last year can very well be replicated again this season.
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Joe Burrow will be coming into this season with a lot of question marks surrounding his progress from the injury last season. While it was an ugly season overall for the Bengals, Burrow was able to throw for 2,688 yards with 13 touchdowns and just five interceptions in 10 games. The positive sign for Burrow is that he not only gets to continue with wideout Tee Higgins, but he also has his old LSU partner in crime, Ja’Marr Chase.
Latest Viking Betting News & Info
The Vikings get to kick off their season as favorites again, but on enemy territory this time around. While coming in as favorites eight times last season, they were only able to cover the spread two times. They had more success with the over last year, as they exceeded the total 11 times throughout the season.
To help improve on last season, the Vikings will have Danielle Hunter and Michael Pierce back on defense. With additions on both sides of the football, along with the offensive and defensive line, it can help keep Minnesota in tip-top shape throughout a difficult season. Justin Jefferson will also be looking to repeat his rookie season and show that there is no sophomore slump. With a healthy team, the Vikings can improve as a team overall.
Latest Bengals Betting News & Info
The Bengals spent 15 of their 16 weeks last season as underdogs. The only week they weren’t was Week 4 versus the Jacksonville Jaguars, as they were favorites at -1. They were able to cover the spread just nine times last season. When it came to the O/U, they split it right down the middle for the season, but the unders came at times when the game should have been a shootout.
Even with Burrow coming off the major injury, there are still some high hopes for this season. The Bengals added Chase alongside two offensive tackles through the draft in hopes of bringing some protection for their young quarterback. Adding Chase to the lineup with Higgins is already a threatening duo, but adding in Joe Mixon adds another level. While Mixon hasn’t held a high number of passing targets from the backfield, Giovani Bernard is no longer in the mix, and that could improve Mixon’s skill-set overall.
Vikings vs. Bengals Betting Picks – NFL Week 1
With the Vikings and Bengals, neither team was able to cover the spread at a successful rate last season, but both had the O/U split straight down the middle. There will be many things to factor into this matchup, but the main one will be Burrow. While the Bengals state that he is fully healthy and ready to go, how much will they put their quarterback at risk Week 1?
The Vikings will come in fully healthy, and Cousins will be ready to sling it versus this Bengals defense. The trio of Thielen, Jefferson and Cook may put up a lead too quickly for the Bengals overdo the play of Burrow, keeping this to a low-scoring affair with the Vikings securing a comfortable win.
Here are our betting picks for Vikings vs. Bengals in Week 1.
FTNBets Best Bets
- UNDER 48 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Minnesota Vikings -3 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
For more information, betting picks and analysis, check out the FTN NFL Bet Tracker.
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