Getty The Vikings head to Philadelphia as slight favorites on the road.
The Philadelphia Eagles host the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship. According to OddsShark, the Vikings are favored by three points, and the over-under is set at 38.5 points. It marks the second straight week the Eagles are a home underdog despite claiming the top seed in the NFC. Many are doubting the Eagles title hopes with Carson Wentz out for the season.
Both teams survived close matchups, but the Vikings win over the Saints in the Divisional Round is as close as it gets. Just as it looked like the Saints were headed to the NFC Championship, Case Keenum connected with Stefon Diggs on the final play of the game to keep the Vikings Super Bowl hopes alive with a 29-24 victory.
For the Eagles, it was the defense that sent Philadelphia to the NFC Championship. Philadelphia had a late goal line stand against the Falcons to hold onto a 15-10 win. The Eagles prevented the Falcons from scoring on four straight plays despite Atlanta being inside the 10 yard line.
Here’s a look at how the two teams match up, and our pick against the spread.
Vikings vs. Eagles: How They Got to the NFC Championship
Philadelphia finished the regular season at 13-3 which was good enough to put them as the NFC’s No. 1 seed. The Eagles have won four out of their last five matchups. Philadelphia’s marquee wins included victories over the Falcons, Chargers, Cowboys, Rams and Panthers.
The Eagles have continued their success since Nick Foles took over the offense, but Philly does lack some of the explosiveness it had under Wentz. Foles threw for 537 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions during the regular season. Foles completed 76.7 percent of his passes against the Falcons for 246 yards, but failed to throw a touchdown pass.
Minnesota also went 13-3 during the regular season, but missed out on the No. 1 seed thanks to tiebreakers. The Vikings have won four straight games. Minnesota’s marquee victories include wins over the Saints, Rams and Falcons.
The Vikings had the top ranked defense during the regular season allowing just 15.8 points per game and 275.9 total yards. Interestingly, the Vikings defense has had success despite ranking No. 17 in sacks with 37.
Both teams did well in Vegas this season going 11-6 against the spread. The Eagles went 6-3 against the spread at home, and 3-2 against the spread as an underdog. The Vikings are 5-3 against the spread on the road, and 8-5 against the spread as the favorite.
NFC Championship Prediction
The OddsShark computer projects the Vikings to come away with a 22.7-17 victory. The computer is taking the Vikings to cover the spread, and the over on the point total.
Case Keenum has been one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the NFL this season. In his 15 games during the 2017 season, Keenum completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 3,547 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions. While Foles has proved more than capable of playing well in spots, Keenum gives the Vikings the edge at the quarterback position.
The Vikings are also the best defense the Eagles have faced this season, and fans can expect the Philadelphia offense to struggle to put up points. We like the Vikings to make history by being the first team to play in a Super Bowl on their home field.
Heavy’s Pick: Vikings 20 Eagles 13. Vikings Cover -3 Spread. Under on the Point Total.