NFL Football
2010-12-28 - Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
Football : United States : NFL : Week 16
Tuesday 28 December 2010 - Kickoff 8pm ET
1am (British Standard Time)
Philadelphia Eagles (10-4)
When Andy Reid decided Donovon McNabb was no longer required in Philadelphia, it was with Kevin Kolb in mind. However, an early season injury allowed Michael Vick to come into the line up and it quickly became clear that the Eagles are a real SuperBowl contender with Vick under Center. Now, with a Play Off berth already confirmed, the Eagles look to finish in one of the top 2 seed places in the NFC and gain at least 1 home Play Off game. They are 1.5 games behind Atlanta and 1 behind Chicago who hold the top 2 places so far.
It was thanks to an epic comeback last week against the Giants that the Eagles won the NFC East. The team was down by 21 points with less than 8 minutes to play but somehow managed to score 4 TDs to win the game. Michael Vick and Desean Jackson got all the rave reviews but the play of Jeremy Maclin and Brett Celek cannot be understated.
The Eagles are averaging 29 points per game and have over 400 yards per game of Total Offense to make them one of the powerhouses in those categories in the NFL. That has really helped out a Defense that has allowed 24 points or more in 7 of their last 8 games.
After the results this weekend, Philadelphia know they have an outside shot of making the Number 1 seed in the NFC, BUT also need to win both their remaining 2 games at home if they are to have any chance of sneaking into the Number 2 position ahead of Chicago.
Minnesota Vikings (5-9)
The Minnesota Vikings would have been grateful for the extra couple of days of rest they unexpectedly received after the strange decision to postpone this game until tonight. The Vikings are already out of the Play Offs a year after being a play away from making the SuperBowl, and it will be interesting to see if the team has mailed in the season after being mauled against the Bears last week.
That defeat to Chicago was essentially this teams SuperBowl this season and they showed a consistent lack of effort. Brett Favre played but was knocked out of the game in the 1st half and is still suffering the effects of the concussion he received in that game. His status is doubtful this week as he has not been cleared to play. With no other tests scheduled for today, Minnesota could give Joe Webb his first start at QB.
Adrian Peterson was another who missed the game last Monday, and he is again Questionable for this game. His return could perhaps a struggling Offense that is ranked at 23rd in the NFL and has failed to surpass 300 yards of Total Offense in 5 of their last 6 games.
The Defense may be ranked at 6th in the NFL, but they have shown a distinct lack of effort in the last 2 losses where the Vikings have allowed 61 points.
Just looking at this season for Minnesota and you cant really blame the players to want to put it to rest. Brad Childress has been fired as Head Coach and replaced by Lesley Frazier, they have no home to play in since the Metrodome's roof collapsed, their 2 QBs are injured, and Randy Moss has been and gone.
Head to Head
Philadelphia won all 5 meetings between the teams since 2000. 3 of those took place at Lincoln Field and the Eagles are also 9-1 against the spread in recent meetings, going 5-0 since 2000.
The Eagles are 4-2 against the spread in their last 6 games. They are 3-1 at home in recent games.
Minnesota are 2-7 against the spread in their last 9 games as the season winds down. They are 1-3 against the spread on the road.
Other Interesting Notes
Philadelphia are 6-2 against the spread in their last 8 home games in December. They are 4-1 against the spread when favoured by 10.5 points or more at home.
The Eagles are 69-45 against the spread against NFC opponents since 2001. They are 31-22 against the spread against teams with losing records.
Minnesota have to reverse the trend that teams coming off 17+ point losses on Monday Night Football are 16-35 against the spread in the following game.
The Vikings are 8-17 against the spread against a team with a winning home record.
83% of the cash in Vegas has fallen on Philadelphia.
Prediction
The only real chance teams will have against Philadelphia will be where they can get a pass rush on Michael Vick and make sure he is not able to scramble around in the pocket and make plays with his speedy receiving corps. However, this is the one thing Minnesota have struggled with all season.
The Vikings are also likely to turn the ball over more than the Eagles due to the inexperience for Joe Webb. Short fields and extra possessions against a quick fire Offense like the Eagles is a recipe for disaster.
It is a large spread, but much in the same way as the Pittsburgh-Carolina game, I just cant see the road team getting enough points to keep this close.
Minnesota's lack of a pass rush and a weak Secondary will be exposed as the Eagles pull away late and stay in the mix for a top 2 position in the NFC.
I'll take the Eagles to win and cover.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Philadelphia Eagles 38-10 Minnesota Vikings
