The Minnesota Vikings will begin their 2021 NFL preseason schedule on Saturday afternoon. Minnesota hosts the Denver Broncos in a cross-conference matchup. The Vikings, led by head coach Mike Zimmer, are trying to remove the sour taste of a 7-9 season a year ago. The Broncos, keyed by a strong defense under head coach Vic Fangio, are seeking to make up for a 5-11 campaign in 2020.
Kickoff is at 4 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Broncos as 2.5-point road favorites while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 34.5 in the latest Broncos vs. Vikings odds. Before you make any Broncos vs. Vikings picks or NFL predictions, make sure you check out what SportsLine NFL expert R.J. White has to say.
CBS Sports’ Fantasy and gambling editor, White ended the 2020 season on an 80-59 run on all NFL picks, returning more than $1,400 during that span. It’s no surprise, as White has cashed huge twice in the world’s most prestigious football handicapping competition, the Las Vegas SuperContest.
In addition, White has gone an astounding 37-14-3 on his last 54 picks involving Minnesota, returning more than $2,100. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, White has set his sights on Broncos vs. Vikings and just revealed his expert picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Now, here are several NFL odds and betting trends for Broncos vs. Vikings:
- Broncos vs. Vikings spread: Broncos -2.5
- Broncos vs. Vikings over-under: 34.5 points
- Broncos vs. Vikings money line: Broncos -145, Vikings +125
- DEN: Broncos were 9-7 against the spread last season
- MIN: Vikings were 6-10 against the spread in 2020
Featured Game | Minnesota Vikings vs. Denver Broncos
Why the Broncos can cover
The Broncos have major question marks at the quarterback position with Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater in a heated battle to be the team’s starter, but the fact that both players will try to put their best foot forward could advantageous for Denver. In the preseason, expectations are often dictated by depth, and the Broncos should utilize Lock and Bridgewater for most of the game.
Beyond that, the Vikings aren’t exactly loaded in terms of overall depth, which could swing things in Denver’s favor. Finally, the Broncos project to have a very strong defense under Vic Fangio. It may be more vanilla than usual, but there are opportunities for evaluation and the very low total in this game is at least a partial reflection on the strength of Denver’s defense.
Why the Vikings can cover
Mike Zimmer is a potential X-factor in this game. He’s been excellent in preseason openers as the head coach of the Vikings, and that trend isn’t one to ignore. In fact, Minnesota is a blistering 7-0 overall in exhibition openers under Zimmer and the Vikings have a wildly solid 20-5 overall mark in preseason games during his tenure.
It remains to be seen whether the Vikings will utilize their starters, headlined by quarterback Kirk Cousins, for extended time. Still, Minnesota is at home and has plenty to lean on. Plus, the Broncos’ offense is a giant mystery box at this stage, and that could play into Minnesota’s hands at this very early point in the season.
How to make Broncos vs. Vikings picks
White has analyzed this matchup in depth and while we can tell you he’s leaning over for the point total, he has discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He’s only sharing that Broncos vs. Vikings pick and the rest of his expert NFL analysis at SportsLine.
So who wins Broncos vs. Vikings? And which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see R.J. White’s Broncos vs. Vikings pick and analysis, all from the NFL expert who’s 37-14-3 on picks involving Minnesota, and find out.