Monday Night Football Preview: Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Giants

Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Giants
Monday, 10/21/13, 8:40 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: New York -3
Current Betting Line: New York -3.5
Opening Total: 47
Current Total: 47
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

Vikings vs. Giants NFL Game Preview — New York Giants QB Eli Manning must protect the football on Monday night

Minnesota is 1-4 SU and 2-3 ATS through five games this season, as it looks to bounce back from a 35-10 setback to the Carolina Panthers as 2.5-point home favorites Oct. 13, while searching to win the statistical battle for the first time in 2013. The Vikings will be led by running back Adrian Peterson, who is third in team history with 527 rushing yards on Monday Night Football, which can’t be ignored when making your NFL expert picks to close out Week 7. Minnesota is 10-14 SU and 14-8-2 ATS as an underdog the last two-plus seasons, with the OVER going 14-10 in that situation.

The Vikings will have a new player under center, with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman getting the start, but he’s completed an NFL-low 45.7 percent of his passes this season. Minnesota head coach Leslie Frazier is hoping that Freeman can regain the form that he showed when throwing for 4,065 yards and 27 touchdowns a season ago. The franchise has won four of its last five games in this series.

New York is still searching for its first victory of the season, as it returns to MetLife Stadium after dropping a 27-21 decision to the Chicago Bears as 9.5-point underdogs Oct. 10. The Giants have lost the statistical battle in their last five contests, with most of the disparity being on the ground. Longtime head coach Tom Coughlin is 3-5 over the course of his career against the Vikings, which is important to consider when looking over the pro football odds page. New York is 2-2 SU and 4-0 ATS versus NFC North opponents since 2011, with the OVER going 3-1 in those four opportunities.

The Giants are 22-33-1 overall when being featured on this primetime broadcast, including a 7-8 mark when playing at home. New York signal-caller Eli Manning must take care of the football, as he’s thrown an NFL-high 15 interceptions—matching his total from all of 2012. The two-time Super Bowl champion may find some success due to facing a pass defense that ranks 29th in the league in allowing an average of 308.0 yards per game.