Minnesota Vikings vs. Oakland Raiders Betting Odds, Analysis, NFL Pick

The Minnesota Vikings (6-2) will try to win their fifth straight game and have covered the spread in their last seven heading into this road matchup with the Oakland Raiders (4-4) on Sunday. The Vikings and the Raiders both have key players recovering from concussions, as Minnesota quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and Oakland running back Latavius Murray suffered them last week. The favorite is 1-5 straight up and against the spread in the last six meetings.

Point spread: The Raiders opened as 2.5-point favorites; the total was off the board early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark (line updates and matchup report).

NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 27.5-17.6 Raiders

Why the Vikings can cover the spread

Minnesota is rolling right now and playing as well as any team in the NFL. The team could have easily lost the past two weeks—at home against the St. Louis Rams and on the road versus the Chicago Bears—but won both games with game-winning field goals. Head coach Mike Zimmer has his players believing they can win the NFC North title, and they are currently tied with the Green Bay Packers atop the division.

The Vikings also got some good news that Bridgewater passed his first concussion test, so he should be ready to play at Oakland barring a setback. Bridgewater’s numbers may not be eye-popping, but his clutch play has kept them in every game since their season-opening 20-3 road loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Their other loss so far also came on the road against the Denver Broncos in Week 4 but was much closer (23-20).

Why the Raiders can cover the spread

The Raiders have covered three in a row despite suffering a tough 38-35 road loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. They had beaten the San Diego Chargers and the New York Jets by a combined 22 points in their previous two games, and quarterback Derek Carr has played like a veteran throughout his sophomore season.

Unlike Bridgewater, Carr has been impressive statistically, throwing for more than 300 yards in each of the last two games with eight total touchdowns and one interception. He has 19 touchdown passes overall and only four picks with a passer rating of 104.3, which ranks sixth overall in the league, ahead of Super Bowl champions Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Russell Wilson and Ben Roethlisberger.

Smart pick

The two best second-year quarterbacks in the NFL will decide the outcome of this game, and Carr has a significant edge because he has better offensive weapons regardless of whether Murray plays. Bridgewater has been solid overall, but he will not be able to make plays against Oakland’s defense when it matters. The Raiders are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games following a loss and will continue that trend here.

Betting trends

• The Vikings are 5-0 ATS in their last five games after a win.
• The Raiders are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games after a loss.
• The Raiders are 5-2 SU and ATS in their last seven games at home.

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.