Minnesota Vs Carolina NFL Week 3 NFC Battle Free Picks

The Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers will throw down in a huge NFC battle on Sunday that will reveal a lot about the two NFC Super Bowl hopefuls. Both teams got big victories in Week 2, so let’s find out which one of these playoff contenders is offering the most value in this contest!

Analyzing The Vikings Vs Panthers NFL Week 3 NFC Battle Free Picks

When: Sunday, September 25, 2016 at 1:00 PM ET Where: Bank of America Stadium TV: FOX NFL Odds: Carolina Panthers -7.5 / Over/Under: 4    

Bet The Minnesota Vikings at +7.5 Because…

The Minnesota Vikings have an elite defense and a ton of talent on offense. Minnesota got a huge win in Week 2 by beating the Green Bay Packers 17-14 in their NFC North divisional battle last weekend as new starting quarterback Sam Bradford completed 22 of 31 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, the Vikes harassed Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers into a 20-for-36 passing day with one touchdown and one interception while holding the Packers’ rushing attack to just 83 total yards. While he’s constantly being ripped as an underachieving former No.1 overall draft pick, Bradford has thrown at least two touchdown passes in four of his last six games. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs continued his ascent as an elite wideout by torching the Packers for nine catches for 182 yards and one touchdown. Defensively, Minnesota is limiting its opponents to just 15 points and 289.5 yards per game.

Bet The Carolina Panthers at -7.5 Because…

The Panthers are playing at home and have an elite defense. Carolina bounced back nicely from their season-opening loss against Denver to beat Carolina 46-27 in Week 2 as Cam Newton completed 24 of 40 passes for 353 yards with four touchdown and one interception while running back Fozzy Whittaker rushed 16 times for 100 yards. Tight end Greg Olsen caught five passes for 122 yards and one touchdown while No. 1 wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin caught seven passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Carolina is allowing 24 points and 304.5 yards per game. Pro Bowl linebacker Luke Kuechly leads the Panthers with 21 tackles.

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction

The Minnesota Vikings might be on the road in this Week 3 thriller, but I don’t think there’s any way they should be 7.5-point underdogs with the kind of defense they play. Minnesota has compiled a near-perfect 10-1 ATS mark in their last 11 road games while going 39-17 ATS in their last 56 games overall. I know the Carolina Panthers are 20-7-1 ATS in their last 28 home games and 4-1 ATS in their L/5 games against a team with a winning record, but I like the Vikings to keep the final score well inside the spread while pushing the Panthers for the outright win!

My Pick: Carolina 24 Minnesota 20