Caleb Wilfinger
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The Minnesota Vikings are 4-1, but it hasn’t been easy for Kirk Cousins and company. Just last week Minnesota needed some 4th-quarter heroics to knock off the dreadful Chicago Bears at home. However, the Vikings are in a good spot this week as they get to take on Dolphins 3rd-string quarterback Skylar Thompson with a chance to improve to 5-1. Can Miami pull off the upset shorthanded, or will Minnesota continue to find ways to win?
Our NFL expert has picks, predictions and best bets for this matchup, so let’s break it all down.
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NFL Week 6 Minnesota Vikings vs Miami Dolphins prediction
This is a game in which the Vikings should see success on offense. Cousins is usually reliable in an early Sunday afternoon setting like this one, and our expert believes that he’ll put Minnesota’s offense in good positions to score on Sunday. The Dolphins defense struggled mightily against Zach Wilson and the Jets last week, which doesn’t bode well for Miami in a matchup against a team with the talent of Minnesota. The Vikings haven’t been perfect by any means, but we still think they’re the right side in this matchup.
Minnesota Vikings vs Miami Dolphins spread, odds & betting lines
Point Spread: Vikings -3.5, Dolphins +3.5
Total Points Over/Under: 45.5 points
Money Line Odds: Vikings -175, Dolphins +150
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Minnesota Vikings vs Miami Dolphins expert picks
We’ve got 3 standout NFL picks for this week’s clash between the Vikings and Dolphins.
Vikings vs Dolphins point spread pick: Vikings -3.5 (-110)
It’s the starting debut of Skylar Thompson. The Dolphins never imagined their 7th-round rookie quarterback would be starting games this season, but the Kansas State product is poised to take over with Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater both sidelined. Things didn’t go particularly well for Miami last week with Thompson under center against the Jets, and I don’t see any reason to believe it’ll get better this week. Thompson averaged just 5.0 yards per attempt with an interception and no touchdowns after coming on in relief of Bridgewater. The Vikings haven’t been playing lights out, but they are 4-1 for good reason. With Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, Minnesota has elite talent at the skill positions. Miami’s defense has also quietly been struggling recently, and they have given up at least 27 points in 3 of their past 4 games.
Letting Zach Wilson throw for 10 yards per attempt on them is a major red flag. If Wilson can be efficient against Miami, then Kirk Cousins certainly can. The Vikings haven’t been perfect by any means but they have lost only 1 game through 5 weeks, and that was on the road in primetime against a still undefeated Eagles team. Minnesota has scored at least 28 points in 3 straight games, and Jefferson is coming off a monster 154-yard performance. Cook just produced a 2-touchdown effort, and this offense should continue to get better as they learn Kevin O’Connell’s system. Take the Vikings on the spread.
Be sure to check out our full Vikings vs Dolphins predictions
Vikings vs Dolphins Over/Under totals pick: Under 45.5 (-110)
I like the under in this game even though the Vikings should have some success on offense, because I don’t see the Dolphins doing much at all. Skylar Thompson struggled to get anything going in his action last week, and that was against a bad Jets team that didn’t know he was going to play and didn’t prepare for him. Now the Vikings have had a full week to study his film and come up with a game-plan just for him, and I would be surprised if he didn’t struggle, as any seventh-round rookie would.
The Dolphins have some nice weapons, but they should not be able to get them the ball. Expect Mike McDaniel to run the ball a ton to attempt to hide Thompson. Thankfully Miami’s ground game isn’t too efficient, so we don’t have much to worry about there. Minnesota has plenty of flashes of brilliance on offense, but they struggle with consistency and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them take their foot off the gas.
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Minnesota Vikings vs Miami Dolphins expert predictions
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