Vikings vs Eagles Picks, Predictions, Odds | Thursday Night Football Week 2

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

7 minute read

Week 2 of the NFL regular season kicks things off on Thursday night with what’s expected to be a lopsided NFC battle between the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles. Coverage begins from Lincoln Financial Field in South Philly at 8:15 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime.

Here's everything you need to know about the Vikings vs Eagles Picks, Predictions, and Odds for Thursday Night Football Week 2.

Vikings vs. Eagles Picks, Betting Prediction, Odds for Thursday Night Football Week 2

Last year’s Vikings squad was one of the most heavily criticized 13-win teams in recent memory, and rightfully so, given the notion that they managed to squeak out an 11-1 record in one-score games and finished with a -10 point differential, overall.

However, since a loss to the Giants in the opening round of the playoffs wasn’t enough to fully take the wind out of the sail for the Minnesota hive, a bucket of fuel was certainly added to the fire this past Sunday as the Vikings took a 20-17 home loss to Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers in their first matchup of this season. So now, Minnesota finds itself tagged as a steep 6.5-point underdog in Week 2 after being tagged as a generous 5-point favorite in Week 1.

Following a conversation with SuperBook risk supervisor Chase Michaelson, VegasInsider’s Patrick Everson noted that the latest string of letdowns by the Vikings isn’t the only factor at play when it comes to adjusting the spread for this matchup. Let’s not forget, Kirk Cousins is notorious for his struggles in primetime, and on top of that, the Eagles are always a popular bet with the public, in their own right.

If you didn’t watch much of last week’s Eagles vs. Patriots game, and just happened to glance at the scoreboard a few times, it might seem like the reigning NFC Champion Eagles picked up right where they left off with a tough 25-20 road win over New England in Week 1 – but truth be told, Jalen Hurts and the Philly offense looked pretty terrible on all fronts this past Sunday.

Credit to New England, Bill Belichick has assembled an elite defense, which was an absolutely brutal Week 1 draw for Hurts and company. However, there’s simply no excuse for the Eagles offense getting outgained by 131 yards and scoring just 19 points. They were fortunate enough to get an early boost via a pick-six by Darius Slay, but even with Philly’s head start, the game still went all the way down to the wire as the Patriots drove to the 19-yard line with 58 seconds left on the clock and had a real chance to win the game in the closing moments.

If you like the Eagles this week, it certainly shouldn’t be because their performance in Week 1 inspired confidence. That said, last year’s Eagles team stomped Minnesota 24-7 in a primetime Week 2 matchup, and given what we saw from the Vikings in their season opener, it’s probably fair to assume that a similar scenario is destined to play out this time around.

It’s tough to predict which version of this Minnesota team is going to show up on Thursday night. However, the one thing that seems to be consistent about the Vikings is the notion that pretty much all of their games stay close, for better or worse. I think the Eagles win another ugly one here. I’m combining Philly -0.5 and Under 54.5 in a 6-point teaser. But as always, tread with caution in the teaser department.

Score Prediction: Eagles 24, Vikings 20
Best Bet: Eagles -0.5 / Under 55 (6-Point Teaser)

Vikings vs. Eagles Betting Resources

Date: Thursday, September 14, 2023
Matchup: NFC North vs NFC East
Venue: Lincoln Financial Field
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Time-TV: Amazon Prime, 8:15 p.m. ET

Click here for Vegas Insider senior reporter Patrick Everson's full NFL Odds Week 2 Report containing spreads, lines, and trends for every NFL matchup.

Minnesota Vikings Betting Analysis

Surely, losing at home to a Tampa Bay team that’s listed at 100-to-1 to win the Super Bowl isn’t the hot start the Vikings were hoping for in Week 1, but looking at the numbers more closely, Minnesota’s loss seems like more of your average run-of-the-mill Week 1 blunder, as opposed to some of the other head-scratching results that sprouted from the opening week of regular season action.

Unlike Philadelphia, the Vikings moved the ball through the air with relative ease in Week 1, as Kirk Cousins completed 33-of-44 passes for 344 yards and two touchdowns against Tampa Bay. However, oftentimes the key to winning games in this league is winning the turnover battle, and that’s where Minnesota fell short on Sunday, as Cousins turned the ball over three times, while Baker and the Bucs managed to keep a clean sheet with zero turnovers in the contest.

On a positive note, the Vikings defense actually played pretty well on Sunday, holding the Bucs to just 17 points and 242 total yards despite Kirk’s trio of turnovers. Not jumping to any drastic conclusions quite yet. Shutting down Tampa Bay’s offense isn’t an overly noteworthy feat. But it would be shameful to neglect the fact that the Vikings defense ranked 28th in scoring last season, and then nearly carried them to a victory in Week 1 of this season.

Philadelphia Eagles Betting Analysis

The Eagles had a chance to put away New England early in Week 1, but instead, they let them hang around, and it almost came back to bite them. Thanks to a pick-six by Slay, the Eagles quickly jumped out to a 16-0 lead in the first quarter of Sunday’s contest, and while the early defensive score originally made the game look like a potential blowout, it simply masked an otherwise losing offensive performance by Philly, in the end.

Wins certainly don’t come easy in the NFL, especially in Week 1. But if we’re going to knock the Vikings for their Week 1 performance, it’s only fair to point out that the Eagles only generated 251 total yards against New England, which ranked 24th over the weekend behind teams like the Texans, Broncos, and Panthers. 

Jalen Hurts completed 22-of-33 passes for just 170 yards to go along with one touchdown and one fumble. The Eagles had 12 offensive drives in the contest, and only four of those drives exceeded four plays, with their only touchdown drive beginning at the Patriots’ 26-yard line.

Granted, the Eagles have a much better defense than Minnesota. Which is ultimately why the Eagles still managed to escape with a victory in Week 1, and why I’m backing them to win this game. But for the ‘over bettors’ expecting these teams to light up the scoreboard for 25 points apiece as if they are in mid-season form on Thursday night, I just think the total is way too high given the amount of rust that was caked on both of these offenses last week.

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Vikings vs. Eagles Betting Trends

• The Vikings are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games.
• The total has gone OVER in seven of Minnesota's last nine games.
• The Vikings are 12-5 SU in their last 17 games.
• The total has gone UNDER in four of Philadelphia's last six games.
• The Eagles are 16-4 SU in their last 20 games.
• The total has gone UNDER in four of Philadelphia's last five home games.
• The total has gone UNDER in six of Philadelphia's last seven home games against Minnesota.
• The Vikings are 5-13 ATS in their last 18 games against Philadelphia.
• The Vikings are 5-11 SU in their last 16 games against Philadelphia.
• The Vikings are 5-2 SU in their last seven road game.

NFL Odds

• NFL Odds Week 2 Lines, Spreads, Trends For Every Game
• Super Bowl 58 Odds
• NFL MVP Odds

Where to place a bet this NFL Season?

• Use our exclusive BetMGM Bonus Code VIBONUS1500 to unlock BetMGM’s welcome offer for new sportsbook users!
• Compare the latest NFL Odds from the best sportsbooks before placing a bet on this week's games.
• Check out the North Carolina Sportsbooks just before they launch legal online sports betting.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson