If you love watching either an elite rushing offence or a run-stopping defence, Sunday’s Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers matchup is for you. The Vikings roll into Tampa with Dalvin Cook, the NFL’s rushing touchdowns leader (13) and rushing yards runner-up (1,250). On the other side is Todd Bowles’ defensive front, which leads the NFL in both rushing yards against per game (74.2) and rushing yards against per carry (3.3).

If Tampa is up to the task, the pressure is on Kirk Cousins as his 6-6 Vikings fight for a spot in the NFL playoffs. The 7-5 Bucs better bring their A game too, as they risk dropping three straight.

NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis

If you blinked and missed it, the Vikings can pass Tampa Bay in the NFC standings with a win Sunday. Tampa Bay’s coming off their bye three games behind New Orleans in the NFC South and with some extra competition in the wild-card hunt.

Luckily for Tampa Bay, Tom Brady is 14-4 off a bye in his career and the Bucs have taken, and covered in seven of their last 10 against Minnesota. The Vikings are listed as 6.5-point underdogs this week, which is whopping given they’re 4-1 ATS on the road in 2020. There’s a considerable trend behind road underdogs too: 70-51 ATS this season.

Minnesota Vikings

It’s Cook who leads this offence, but the Vikings as a whole have been clicking. Along with the league’s sixth best rushing offence, Minnesota sits fourth in yards per game and third in offensive red zone percentage. Adam Thielen’s 12 touchdowns certainly help their scoring percentage, then it’s rookie Justin Jefferson’s 1,039 receiving yards that lifts the total yardage.

With Sunday’s tilt essentially a must-win for Minnesota, it would be a big loss if linebacker Eric Kendricks and his 107 tackles couldn’t suit up, as well as tight ends Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. — all three missed Wednesday’s practice.

The Vikings are 1-4 against teams with winning records, and the Bucs will be their sixth test.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The last time Brady and the Bucs hit the field, they felt the wrath of Kansas City in a misleading 27-24 loss. Home field hasn’t been too kind to the Bucs in 2020. They’re 3-3 at Raymond James Stadium to date, albeit losses to the Saints, Rams, and Chiefs.

The Bucs rank sixth in points for and 10th in passing yards per game, but there’s still more desired with a club fielding Brady, Mike Evans, Antonio Brown, Chris Godwin, and so on. Godwin’s status is one to watch as he had pins removed from a broken finger earlier this week, but the Bucs’ receptions leader should be good to go come Sunday.

NFL Prediction: Who Will Win Vikings vs. Buccaneers?