Pinnacle -8½ -109 BET365 -8½ -110 SportsInteraction -8½ -110 5DIMES -8½ -110 888Sport -8½ -110

Posted at 11:00 AM EST.

MINNESOTA -8½ -109 over Oakland

1:00 PM EST. The Raiders may have removed a weekly headache when they let Antonio Brown leave but the passing game has a very big hole that no one is stepping up to fill. Worse yet, the next five games contain all road venues other than Week 5 when they host the Bears. For all the player moves in the offseason, this team doesn't look that much different than 2018. At a time when QB’s are shredding the Chiefs, Derek Carr only managed 198  passing yards last week and threw two interceptions in the process. Despite beating the offensive-less Broncs in Week 1, Carr’s numbers weren’t much better. This is a bad Oakland football team that hasn’t been exposed as such just yet. With a 1-1 record and a predictable loss to K.C., Oakland’s stock is neither up nor down but it still provides us with an opportunity to cash in against them.

The Vikings stock is sort of neutral too. Minnesota planned on rushing the ball more this season but that wasn't supposed to mean the ability to throw would go away. There's no problem with the backfield but the passing effort that seemed almost unstoppable for the first half of 2018 now cannot get started. Next week is in Chicago, so the Vikes need to take this win while figuring out where the passing offense went. Dalvin Cook cannot, and has not, been enough to win every game.

Kirk Cousins was the pricey addition last year that made stars out of Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen but the rushing attack in Week 1 took care of business and Cousins only threw 10 passes. Against the Packers and their much improved defense, he only managed 14-of-32 completions for 230 yards but it was the interception at the end of the game that put Cousins’ brain under scrutiny again. We went back and forth on this one. The points seem to be a lot but maybe the points are fool’s gold. Cousins and the Vikes seem to beat up on these weak teams, as their recent 7-1-1 mark versus teams at .500 or worse will attest to, not to mention 29 out of 41 covers at home under Mike Zimmer. For now, we’re recommending the Vikes but it was one of our tougher choices this week.

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