Minnesota Vikings vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Sunday (9:30am ET) – Dublin, Ireland
The Vikings are off a blowout of the Bengals last week with Carson Wentz under center, but that win can be chalked up to the Minnesota defense and run game. That said, I don’t think we need Wentz to do more than simply manage the game once again in order to get a win over the Steelers. This is the morning game over in Ireland, so no home field on either side.
The Steelers sit at a very fortunate 2-1, squeaking out a win over the Jets, and beating the Patriots by one score last week. But New England practically handed the game to Pittsburgh, turning the ball over five times and leaving a ton of points on the table due to silly mistakes. I don’t think Minnesota will make those mistakes.
The one good defense that Aaron Rodgers has faced was a home loss to the Seahawks, and the Vikings look like they are very solid on the defensive side of the ball. I expect the defense to make Rodgers and company uncomfortable. The Steelers rank 26th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed, so the Vikings should find success on the ground. I think Minnesota is built well to expose Pittsburgh’s flaws and get a win in Dublin.
NFL Pick: Vikings ML (-140)
I mentioned the success on the ground, as the Steelers are giving up nearly 140 rushing yards per game — and that’s with the Patriots accomplishing very little last week. Back in Week 1, Breece Hall was able to clear 100 rushing yards on 19 carries against Pittsburgh. In his other two games combined, Hall has just 50 total rushing yards on 19 carries. In Week 2, Kenneth Walker also topped 100 rushing yards on just 13 carries. Walker entered Week 4 with just 58 total rushing yards on 26 carries in his two other games combined — although he did finish with 19 carries for 81 yards on Thursday night.
In short, running backs have been having their best games when matched up with the Steelers, which should mean big things for Jordan Mason. Minnesota knew Mason has the potential to be a bell cow back, and unleashed him in that role last week with Aaron Jones out. Mason finished with a 16-116-2 line against the Bengals. With Jones still out and Wentz under center, look for a big game from Mason once again.
NFL Pick: Jordan Mason OVER 80.5 Rushing Yards (-112)
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