Eagles Will Embarrass Vikings On MNF

The biggest Week 1 overreaction lies within the Minnesota Vikings (1-0) visit to the Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) in Lincoln Financial Field as part of a Monday Night Football (MNF) Week 2 doubleheader.

Everyone saw the Vikings hammer the Green Bay Packers 23-7 in Week 1. Also, bettors are still made at the Eagles for not covering as 6-point road favorites in a 38-35 win at the Detroit Lions last Sunday.

But, people forget how often Minnesota QB Kirk Cousins comes up short in primetime spots. And Philadelphia had a 38-21 lead entering the fourth quarter vs. Detroit before taking its foot off the gas.

However, between Cousins peeing down his leg in primetime and the Eagles having a better roster top to bottom, I'm BETTING the PHILADELPHIA EAGLES -2.5 (-115) at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Perfect 'Fade Spot' For The Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown and QB Jalen Hurts. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

Philly squandered away a cover in Week 1 vs. Detroit. Whereas Minnesota just beat and covered the NFC North's reigning champion Packers in Vikings' new coach Kevin O'Connell's debut.

The Vikings got a huge game from superstar WR Justin Jefferson and Cousins had a 118.9 QB Rating vs. Green Bay. While the Eagles' pass coverage and defensive line significantly underperformed against the Lions in Week 1.

But, there were several breakdowns in Green Bay's defense and the Packers weren't ready for Week 1. Jefferson getting this wide-open isn't because of anything Minnesota's offense did. Philly's defense won't allow Jefferson to run free down the middle of the field.

Also, Minnesota's defense had a much easier time against the Packers than it will vs. the Eagles. Rodgers lost his go-to wide receiver, Davante Adams, and deep-threat, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, this offseason and WR Allen Lazard missed Week 1. Packers LT David Bakhtiari and RT Elgton Jenkins were also sidelined with injuries.

Furthermore, Green Bay's ground game had success (111 rushing yards on 18 carries) and the game would've been different had rookie WR Christian Watson caught this ball and took it to the house.

On the other hand, Philly's offense is dripping with talent. In fact, all Eagles QB Jalen Hurts needs to do is keep Philly's offense on schedule and the Eagles are scoring 25+ points.

Philly WRs A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith could be a top-five WR tandem in the NFL by season's end. Also, Philly's offensive line ranks inside the top-10 for most NFL insiders. My read on this matchup is Philly's offense will be able to physically overwhelm Minnesota's defense.

Kirk Cousins Sucks On MNF

You can set your watch to Cousins laying an egg on MNF. It essentially happens every season. Cousins-led teams are just 2-9 on MNF. However, Cousins' only two wins came against the Chicago Bears led by QB Nick Foles in 2020 and QB Justin Fields last season. Cousins has his worst completion rate, QB Rating and yards per game on MNF compared to any other day.

DraftKings Sportsbook Vikings-Eagles Betting Splits as of Monday, Sept. 19 at 11:20 a.m. ET

More importantly, the public is ignoring Cousins' MNF struggles while the sharps are rolling with Philly. According to VSIN, roughly two-thirds of the bets are on the Vikings but nearly 80% of the money is on the Eagles.

Typically, it's wise to follow the money when it's counter to the public since professional bettors put up a lot more dough than your average Joe. Well, the Pros are backing the Eagles and the Joes are on the Vikings.

Let's follow the money and BET the PHILADELPHIA EAGLES -2.5 (-115) at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook as of Monday, Sept. 19 at 11:00 a.m. ET