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Vikings vs. Bengals: Odds, Spread, Over/Under and Prediction for NFL Week 1

By Iain MacMillan

Joe Burrow will try to pick up where he left off after a serious knee injury ended his promising rookie season.
Joe Burrow will try to pick up where he left off after a serious knee injury ended his promising rookie season. / Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
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Two non-playoff teams from the 2020 NFL season will start their 2021 campaign off with a win as the Cincinnati Bengals are set to host the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1 action.

The Bengals will be getting their 2019 first overall pick, Joe Burrow, back under center after suffering a devastating knee injury in Week 11 last year that ended his season. The Bengals provided their star quarterback with another offensive weapon when they drafted his former LSU teammate, Ja'Marr Chase, with the fifth overall pick in the 2021 draft.

Cincinnati is just 6-23 under head coach Zac Taylor, so if the team doesn’t see significant improvement this season, his job could be on the hot seat.

The Vikings will try to rebound from a subpar 2020 season that saw them finish with a 7-9 record which caused them to miss the postseason. They’ll be getting key players back from injury this year, most notably defensive end Danielle Hunter.

Both teams expect to improve on last season’s result, and a Week 1 win would be a good step in the right direction.

Here are the odds for the game, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

Vikings vs. Bengals Spread, Odds, and Over/Under

Spread:

Vikings -3 (-120)

Bengals +3 (+100)

Moneyline:

Vikings -170

Bengals +145

Total:

48 (OVER -110/UNDER -110)

Vikings vs. Bengals Betting Trends

  • Minnesota was tied for the second worst spread record in 2020 at 6-10
  • Cincinnati finished the 2020 season at 9-7 against the spread
  • The Vikings had the third best OVER record at 11-5 (68.8%)
  • The Vikings are 5-4 against the spread against the Bengals dating back to 1986
  • The Bengals are 15-17 against the spread under head coach Zac Taylor

Vikings vs. Bengals Prediction and Pick

I wrote in our betting preview for the Vikings season that I think they’re going to be the surprise team of the NFC in 2021. Their defense was one of the worst in the league last season, but they were missing key players due to injury and then they added corner Patrick Peterson to the mix.

The Minnesota offense, which many people might not realize, was among the best in the NFL in 2020. It ranked third in yards per game averaging 393.2, behind only the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers.

Meanwhile, I feel like the Bengals have built the team in the opposite order than what they should have. They have the weapons on offense, but absolutely no offensive line. The Bengals allowed three sacks per game in 2020, which isn’t a good sign considering their star quarterback is coming back from a major knee injury.

I love Joe Burrow, but he’s also going to need some time to gain his confidence back after having his knee blow up on him.

I’m taking the Vikings to cover the three-point spread, and it might be one of my favorite bets in Week 1.

Want to get in on the NFL Week 1 action? Download the WynnBET app now.

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