Week 2 of the NFL preseason is here, and the Patriots and Vikings face off in Minnesota after a week of joint practices between these two teams.
The Vikings are 1.5-point home favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Vikings are a -142 favorite on the moneyline, and the total is set at 38.5 points. This is a preview, prediction and pick for this Vikings-Patriots preseason game.
Patriots Preview
The Patriots put on a show in their preseason opener against the Commanders. Drake Maye got the start but only made five pass attempts. Undrafted rookie quarterback Ben Wooldridge and Joshua Dobbs took the rest of the snaps at quarterback. Wooldridge thrived in his first NFL action, while Dobbs really struggled against Washington. It was the Patriots’ defense and special teams that really put on a show. Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson returned a kick for a touchdown, and the defense had two interceptions. Maye could get a bit more action in this game as the Patriots ramp him up for the regular season. Patriots’ first-round pick, left tackle Will Campbell, struggled in the first preseason game, and the Patriots will be hoping for a better performance out of him against the well-coached Vikings’ defense. The Patriots will also hope to see some flashes out of their third-round pick, wide receiver Kyle Williams, who did not have a catch in their first preseason game.
Vikings Preview
The Vikings are holding out starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy for this game. Sam Howell will take control of the offense instead. McCarthy saw limited action in the first preseason game, but will not be getting any snaps in this game. Howell performed well in the first week of the preseason, going 11/13 for 105 yards against the Texans. Vikings rookie quarterback Max Brosmer also played well against Houston and should see a lot of action in this game as he battles with Howell for the QB2 role on this team. Veteran Brett Rypien will also see some snaps at quarterback, but he really struggled last week and could be the odd man out in this quarterback room after this weekend. With the Vikings’ top receivers out for this game, some fresh names like Lucky Jackson, Silas Bolden and Tai Felton will get the chance to earn their roster spots
Best Bet
Both of these defenses performed brilliantly in their first preseason start. Between Mike Vrabel and Terrell Williams, the Patriots have a well-coached defense with young talent and players looking to earn roster spots.
On the other side, Brian Flores is one of the best defensive coaches in all of football. Even in preseason, his group will be disciplined and aggressive. If Maye sees extended action, that will make things a bit tougher on Minnesota. However, once Dobbs and Wooldridge hit the field, the Vikings’ defense will definitely have the advantage. Even though the Patriots dominated their first preseason game, they got great field position through takeaways and scored a special teams touchdown. They are unlikely to replicate that two weeks in a row and will have to work hard to score against Minnesota. Their offensive line struggled last week and has had a tough time in joint practices against Minnesota. Even when Maye is on the field, Minnesota should win the line of scrimmage.
That is why I am rolling with the under 38.5 as my best bet. The defenses should win the day on both sides, keeping this game under the total.
