Vikings open up as slight underdogs against Eagles for ‘Monday Night Football’

For the second consecutive week, the Minnesota Vikings open things up as a slight underdog against a pretty good football team.

Our friends at the DraftKings Sportsbook have made the Vikings a 1.5-point underdog in their early lines for Monday night’s contest at Lincoln Financial Field. That’s the same margin that the Green Bay Packers were favored over the Vikings by when the lines for Week 1 opened last week.

The Eagles had an interesting opening week, as they traveled to Ford Field and defeated the Detroit Lions by a score of 38-35. Philadelphia took a 17-point lead into the fourth quarter but had to hold off a furious Lions rally to preserve their victory. Of their five touchdowns, four were on the ground and one came via a pick-six from cornerback James Bradberry.

The Vikings, as we know, got out to a 17-0 halftime lead over Green Bay on Sunday afternoon and weren’t really threatened as they secured a 23-7 victory at U.S. Bank Stadium. Justin Jefferson caught nine passes for 184 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and set yet another record, this one for most receiving yards in a half by a Vikings’ receiver. He had 155 yards when the two teams went into the locker room at the half. The Vikings’ defense impressed as well, holding the Packers to the fewest points they’ve scored against the purple with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.

The over/under for this one sits at 51.5, so it appears that we’re expecting a higher-scoring game. We’ll see what the Vikings’ defense. . .and the Eagles’ defense, for that matter. . .have to say about that.

It’s worth noting that, in the hour or so after the inactive lists came out for both teams, the Vikings moved from a 1.5-point underdog to a 1-point favorite, so technically they were favored by the time things kicked off. However, the opening line for that one is the same as the opening line we’re getting from DraftKings for this Monday’s game.