Two Struggling Teams Look To Get Right As Vikings Take On Chargers

Vikings vs. Chargers, 8:15 ET

We've reached the start of Week 8 in the National Football League. Thursday Night Football has received significantly better matchups since they moved the games over to Amazon Prime. To be honest, I'm not sure that this is the best matchup we've seen this season, but not everything can be gold. It would also help if one of the teams had its original starting quarterback. Either way, when it comes to football, I'm watching it. And, if I have a bet, I'm going to share it with you readers. I have one for the Vikings and Chargers game, so let's get to it.

The Vikings are 3-3 for the season and have looked inconsistent at best. I liked their defense in the past, but this season has been a bit inconsistent on that front. Let's take a look at their season. They started against the Bears and allowed 24 points before the offense took over in the fourth quarter. The Vikings won the game 27-24, but it could be attributed to the Bears losing the game more than the Vikings winning it. Week 2 saw them take on the Falcons and they dropped that game at home. JJ McCarthy looked rather lost, and, honestly, he has only had one good quarter in his career. He has been injured ever since that game. The Vikings destroyed the Bengals in a predictable blowout. They traveled overseas to play Pittsburgh and while it was competitive, they ultimately couldn't get the stop needed. Staying across the pond, they beat the Browns before coming back after their bye week and facing the Eagles last week. Again, it was a competitive game, but they couldn't get the stops when needed. The Vikings have done well at preventing the pass, ranking seventh in passing yards allowed. 

Minnesota Vikings QB Carson Wentz throws downfield against the Cincinnati Bengals at U.S. Bank Stadium in NFL Week 3. (Photo credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images) 

The Chargers looked like this was going to be the year to claim their division. They started the season with a strong win over the Chiefs, then took down the Raiders, and Broncos. Those are all three teams in their division, and they started the season 3-0. Since then, the team has regressed quite a bit. They have dropped three of the past four games, with their lone win being a suspect one against the Dolphins. They lost on the road to the Jaxon Dart-led Giants. They hosted the Commanders and really stumbled. Then the Colts came in and beat them with ease last week. The Chargers are eighth in the league against the pass, so it isn't like that's the big issue. They are middle of the pack when it comes to stopping the run as well. At some point, I would expect the Chargers' defense to improve, and they did get Khalil Mack back last week. However, Mack's impact was a bit limited, and he is getting older to the point where he might be losing effectiveness.  

It is remarkable how similar the defenses are when it comes to statistics. With both pass defense and rushing defense, the teams are right next to each other in terms of yards allowed. The Chargers are allowing more points per game, but that doesn't mean that the Vikings are going to be able to take advantage of that. Carson Wentz has 1,072 passing yards, five touchdowns, and four interceptions for the year. Justin Herbert normally takes care of the ball pretty well, but he has allowed six interceptions this year. I am expecting this to be a close matchup, one that features more ground action than anything through the air. I'll back the under tonight. 

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