| SmashMouth |
10-27-2018 05:15 AM |
ESPN Picks Viqueens to Win
Saints at Vikings: 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
Point spread: NO -1 | Matchup quality: 72.9 (of 100)
Mike Triplett's pick: It's hard to pick against the Saints, because even if they start slow, they finish so strong. According to ESPN Stats & Info, their 88 points in the fourth quarter/overtime this year are the most through the first six games of a season since 2002. They just came back from a 17-7 deficit at Baltimore in the fourth quarter last Sunday. Still, the Saints' five-game win streak has to end sometime. Vikings 27, Saints 24
Courtney Cronin's pick: If the Vikings want to notch their third consecutive win over the Saints, they'll have to beat the king of the fourth-quarter comeback, Drew Brees. With Xavier Rhodes' status for Sunday's game in question, the Vikings may have to rely on rookie cornerback Holton Hill to start in his place. But in the end, Kirk Cousins, Adam Thielen and defensive dominance on third down wins out. Vikings 31, Saints 28
FPI win projection: MIN, 56.0 percent. Can the Vikings' defense slow down the Saints' offense? Minnesota has the best defensive efficiency at home this season at 88.2 (on a 0-to-100 scale). Interestingly, the Saints' offensive efficiency is slightly higher on the road (80.7) than at home (74.9) this season.
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