Vikings vs. Bengals Point Spread: NFL Week 15 Odds, Prediction
Prior to the regular season this was shaping up to be a Kirk Cousins vs. Joe Burrow meeting with playoff implications on both sides. Instead it’s Mullens (filling in for a benched Josh Dobbs) vs. Jake Browning, although each club has still managed to stay in or around Wild-Card spots with 7-6 records entering Week 15.
The Vikings are coming off a 3-0 victory and the lowest-scoring NFL game in 16 years. Cincinnati’s now scored 34 points in back-to-back wins, tying their season high for points in a game this season.
Kickoff at Paycor Stadium goes Saturday at 1 p.m. EST with the Bengals currently a 3.5-point favourite on home field and the total at 39 on the NFL odds.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
In seven road games this season the Vikings have yet to lose a game against the spread, going 5-0-2 ATS. Minnesota’s 5-2 outright on the road this season too. But in their eight most recent trips to Cincinnati, the Vikings have come away with just a single win. The Bengals are 11-3 in their last 14 home games overall too.
Last week’s shutout put Minnesota into the top five in points per game allowed this season (18.6). Minnesota comes in having nine of their last 11 games this season finish under the total as they’ve failed to go over 20 points in three straight outings. But Browning and the Bengals offence have found the groove, scoring 68 total points these past two weeks.
Minnesota Vikings
For all the hype put into Justin Jefferson’s return last week, the superstar receiver exited Minnesota’s win early with a chest injury and his status Saturday is as of now uncertain. The positive news is Jefferson’s seemed to avoid any significant injury, but there’s no doubt his absence played a role in the Vikings scoring three points last week. Jefferson was limited in Minnesota’s opening practice Tuesday.
The Josh Dobbs experiment appears to be over in Minnesota too with head coach Kevin O’Connell now rolling with Nick Mullens under centre. Mullens has been healthy since Week 11, three weeks after Minnesota traded for Dobbs. In 17 starts Mullens is 5-12 and has 5,168 career yards to go with 27 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.
Cincinnati Bengals
The legacy of Jake Browning continues to grow, as the replacement for Joe Burrow finished 18 of 24 for 275 yards and two touchdowns in a 20-point win over Indianapolis last weekend. Browning now has 11 incompletions in his last games and well over 500 passing yards. Cincinnati also unleashed Canadian rookie running back Chase Brown in the win, as the fifth-round pick had eight carries for 25 yards but led all Bengals with 80 receiving yards. Brown’s breakout moment came on a screen pass in the opening quarter that he housed for 54 yards.
On defence the Bengals have been up and down, but put forth one of their stronger performances last weekend by holding the Colts to under 300 yards and generating a pair of takeaways. 28-year-old defensive tackle B.J. Hill had one of the takeaways with his first career interception.
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