A pair of fringe playoff teams square off this weekend, as the Minnesota Vikings travel to Baycor Stadium to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in their first Saturday NFL game of the season.
Despite losing quarterback Joe Burrow for the season, the Cincinnati Bengals (7-6) have barely missed a beat on offense. The Bengals have gone 2-1 in the three games Jake Browning has started and has scored 34 points in each of the past two weeks. They even took down playoff hopefuls like the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts. The team may be in last place in the crowded AFC North, but the Bengals are in the thick of the playoff race, and a win on Saturday would help them greatly.
The Minnesota Vikings (7-6) are in a similar boat. Fortunately for them, the path to the playoffs is in their hands. If the postseason started today, the Vikings would be the sixth seed in the NFC. However, they should not feel complacent about their situation. While the midseason addition of Joshua Dobbs looked great at first, he slowly declined before being benched last week against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Vikings will team up with veteran Nick Mullins as their starter, making him their fourth starting quarterback this year. This will be Mullens’ first start since 2021, and he may not even have a superstar like Justin Jefferson.
Expectations:
Sports book wire: Under 39
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Sportsbook Wire notes that the Minnesota Vikings were one of the best teams to bet the under all year. In their 13 games, the Vikings have only been outscored in three. With Mullens unproven at quarterback and Browning facing his strongest defense yet, the U-39s could be a power play.
Sports Illustrated: Bengals (-3.5)
Mark Lammy wrote, “Dobbs was sitting on the bench during last Sunday’s game as the offense remained scoreless for almost the entire game. It took a field goal with two minutes left to win an ugly game 3-0. This may speak to the Vikings’ stout defense “But we saw what Sensei’s attack could do with the weapons surrounding Browning.”
Fox Sports: Cincinnati 23, Minnesota 18
Fox Sports reports that although the Bengals have not once led this year as favorites by 3.5 points or more, the Vikings’ offense is comfortably unpredictable. This seems like a good opportunity for Browning to prove he’s worthy of the praise he’s getting and push the Bengals closer to a playoff berth.
CBS Sports: Bengals (-3.5)
“I like the way the Bengals have been playing,” Jordan Dajani wrote. Browning has the highest completion percentage in the first three games of any player in NFL history (79.3%), and Cincinnati may have found a new weapon in Chase Brown and the defense was “impressive as well.” . “I think Brian Flores might have some surprises for Browning, but I want to ride with him instead of Mullins.”
Athlone: Cincinnati 23, Minnesota 18
The Bengals may be the favorite, but the team is 1-2 this year when given odds of -170 or greater. They are less than .500 when given good odds. This does not bode well for them. Regardless, it seems like no one is willing to ride with veteran Mullins, and Justin Jefferson’s questionable status is likely a big reason why.
NFL Week 15 Vikings vs. Bengals odds, lines:
The Bengals are the favorite to defeat the Vikings, according to BetMGM NFL odds. Are you looking to bet? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promotions in 2023.
Betting odds, as of Thursday afternoon:
- Spread: Bengals (-3.5)
- Money line: Bengals (-190); Vikings (+155)
- Above under: 39
How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Cincinnati Bengals game:
- when: Saturday, December 16, 2023
- where: Baycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio
- time: 1 PM ET/10 AM PT
- television: NFL Network
- flow: NFL+, Fubo TV
Game stream:Watch Saturday’s NFL games with Fubo
Fantasy news:
With Nick Mullens under center, the Minnesota Vikings will likely use a lot of screens, half-court reads, and swing passes. Who benefits most from these? Best wide receiver, tight end, and running back. This means there could be big receiving days waiting for the return of Ty Chandler, TJ Hockenson, and either Justin Jefferson or Jordan Addison depending on whether Jefferson is healthy or not.
While avoiding any and all Vikings pass-catchers may be the consensus regarding Mullens as not the greatest quarterback, Mullens has been able to play quarterback to outstanding fantasy performances in the past. In 2018, as a member of the 49ers, he threw for 414 yards in a loss to Seattle. In that game, former second-round receiver Dante Pettis tallied five receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for -2 yards. That’s a fantasy 29.7 point performance from wideout that most would consider a bust and hopefully Mullens will improve and develop from there. He’s still only 28 after all. Imagine what he could do with the likes of Justin Jefferson.
On the Cincinnati side, the beginnings are clear. You’re not benching Ja’Marr Chase or Joe Mixon. Mixon has actually been the No. 2 linebacker in fantasy over the past four weeks. The questions lie with quarterback Jake Browning and wide receiver Tee Higgins.
Bench Higgins. As great a player as he is, the Bengals offense doesn’t seem to be playing him as much with Browning under center. All the short screens and swing passes would go to Mixon, Chase, or even rookie running back Chase Brown. Higgins was left on the sidelines. While he’s still good for a big play or two at some point during the game, his size isn’t big enough to warrant a confident start.
Browning seat as well. As great as it has looked, the Minnesota Vikings’ defense has looked even better as of late. They’re top-five in almost every category that matters and opposing quarterbacks haven’t scored more than 20 fantasy points against them since Week 5. In fact, the quarterbacks haven’t even scored 10 fantasy points in two straight games.
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Get ready for an exciting Saturday in the NFL as some of the league’s top teams come head-to-head in highly anticipated matchups. With just a few games left in the regular season, every win is crucial for teams vying for playoff spots. As the weekend approaches, analysts and pundits are busy crunching the numbers and weighing the odds to make predictions for the upcoming games. From divisional rivalries to potential upsets, Saturday’s games are sure to be filled with drama and excitement. Let’s take a closer look at the predictions and odds for Saturday’s NFL games.