It’s a matchup between the top-two seeds in the NFC from the 2022 NFL season as the Minnesota Vikings take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football.
Vikings vs. Eagles is a Week 2 rematch from last season when Philadelphia won 24-7 on Monday Night Football. It was the coming out party for Jalen Hurts’ breakout season, throwing for 333 yards and combining for three touchdowns through the air and on the ground.
It was also one of the rare games last season in which Justin Jefferson had a quiet performance, having just six receptions for 48 yards. This was mostly due to Kirk Cousins having a terrible game, with a QBR of just 22.7.
The Vikings-Eagles betting odds have moved quite a bit since Sunday night. The Eagles opened as a 7.5-point favorite, but that line has dropped to 6.5 due to injuries to key players such as James Bradberry, Reed Blankenship, and Kenneth Gainwell.
Will the Vikings bounce back after a disappointing home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week, or will they struggle against the Eagles yet again? PFN’s Trey Wingo, Chief Content Officer David Bearman, Director of Betting Brian Blewis, and Betting & Fantasy Analysts Jason Katz and Kyle Soppe each give their Vikings vs. Eagles prediction.
Vikings vs. Eagles Betting Lines, Start Time, and More
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook unless stated otherwise.
- Spread
Eagles -6.5 - Moneyline
Vikings +205, Eagles -250 - Over/Under
49 - Game Time
8:15 p.m. ET - Location
Lincoln Financial Field - How To Watch
Amazon Prime Video
Vikings vs. Eagles Predictions
Wingo:Â No team has proved more in Week 1 that what happened in 2022 won’t happen in 2023. The Vikings won 11 one-score games last season, and it took them just one week to lose a one-score game in 2023.
Justin Jefferson was the absolute best in the game and did everything but score. They are going to need him to get in the end zone this week against the Philadelphia Eagles. That’s why I like him to catch a touchdown pass tonight.
Pick: Justin Jefferson anytime touchdown scorer (+115 at DraftKings)
Bearman: This is a perfect bounce-back spot for the Eagles, and they didn’t even lose last week. But the difference between these teams is the Eagles won despite playing badly on the road, and the Vikings played poorly and lost at home to the Buccaneers.
Early last season on Monday Night Football, this matchup was a coming-out party for Hurts and the Eagles, and I see more of the same here.
I lean towards laying the six points and will be taking Hurts anytime touchdown (-115). He scored twice on the ground last year versus a Vikings defense that is better than this version.
I will also take the over on Jefferson’s 92.5 receiving yards because no one can stop him right now. He hit this mark in 11 of 17 games last year and again last week. He goes for over 100, but the Eagles will still win and cover.
Picks: Eagles when it was at -6 at DraftKings (-110), Jalen Hurts anytime touchdown (-110 at DraftKings), Justin Jefferson over 92.5 receiving yards (-115 at DraftKings)
Blewis:Â The Eagles’ offense looked a bit rusty and out of sorts last week after not playing in the preseason, adjusting to a new playcaller, and going against a very formidable New England Patriots defense on the road.
This week, they get a much more favorable matchup, although in a short week, at home against the Vikings. The Vikings defense was one of the worst at defending the pass last season, allowed the third-most yards per attempt last season, and their personnel in the secondary remains very uninspiring.
Last week, the Eagles struggled to give Hurts much time to throw, and the Patriots did a great job of preventing guys from getting open. By facing a much worse Vikings defense and pass rush, I expect them to have much more success through the air. Look for Hurts to connect with A.J. Brown on a deep touchdown pass in this one.
I’m 3 for 3 in giving out anytime touchdown bets in prime-time games so far this season; let’s go for four in a row.
Picks: A.J. Brown anytime touchdown (+115 at FanDuel), A.J. Brown over 25.5 longest reception (-114 at FanDuel)
Katz: If you’re experiencing a bit of Week 2 déjà vu, don’t fret. Nearly 365 days ago, the Eagles and Vikings met in Week 2. The scheduling gods seemed to borrow from last year’s work.
In that game, Cousins made an absolute mess of things. He threw for 221 yards and one garbage-time touchdown in a game the Vikings lost 24-7 and never were competitive. I’m not saying I expect something similar, but it wouldn’t surprise me.
I don’t buy into the Prime-Time Kirk narrative. But I do buy into the fact that Cousins is turnover-prone, and the Eagles have a ferocious pass rush capable of forcing him into mistakes.
The Eagles picked Cousins off three times last year. They got one from Mac Jones last week. Cousins threw a pick himself last week. I think you see where we’re headed!
Best Bet:Â Kirk Cousins over 0.5 interceptions (-115 at DraftKings)Â
Soppe: The Eagles are a better team on all fronts than they showed last week, though their run defense did show up (3.5 YPC allowed to New England). They take that stretch as a touchdown favorite into a game against a Vikings team that didn’t record a 10-yard run in their season-opening loss to the Buccaneers (17 carries for 41 yards).
If we take for granted that the Eagles will slow the Vikings run game and that they will be able to score at will because, well, most professional teams do against Minnesota, then I’m looking for another high-volume game through the air for the Vikes.
T.J. Hockenson earned nine low-aDOT targets against the Bucs last week, hauling in eight of them for just 35 yards. The style in which he is used isn’t ideal for fantasy football managers, but his consistent involvement seems to be locked in (8.6 targets per game following the trade from Detroit last season).
And guess what? The Eagles are more than happy to give up those short/middle-of-the-field targets. We saw it last postseason, and we saw it again in Week 1 with New England RBs and TEs seeing 25 targets.
With Nakobe Dean on injured reserve, the Eagles are even more vulnerable in the short pass game than normal. I think you have the ability to get creative when it comes to wagering on Hockenson. In addition to my best bet, I’ll be taking his heavily juiced catch total over 4.5 (-190, DraftKings) and playing the “win amount” from that bet on his alternate receiving yardage total of 75+ yards (+270, DraftKings)
Best Bet: T.J. Hockenson over 48.5 receiving yards (-110 at DraftKings)
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