Vikings vs. Raiders Preseason Week 1 NFL Picks: A Tale of Two Bench Bosses

The Las Vegas Raiders look to keep their momentum going against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1 of the NFL preseason after winning in the Hall of Fame Game. Here are our best Vikings-Raiders picks to make ahead of Sunday’s tilt.

This Week 1 preseason matchup features a pair of head coaches who have a lot to prove. On the Vikings’ side, rookie head coach Kevin O’Connell hopes to make an immediate impact in his debut game at the helm.

On the other side of the card, Josh McDaniels is in his first year as the bench boss of the Raiders — a role he hasn’t held since being fired by the Denver Broncos in 2010. Will he be able to keep things rolling after a convincing win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in last week’s HOF Game? 

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Here are our Vikings-Raiders NFL picks for preseason Week 1 (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook).

Vikings vs. Raiders Game Info

Date: Sunday, Aug. 14, 4:25 p.m. ETTV: Regionally televised, NFL NetworkLocation: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NVWeather: Indoors

Vikings vs. Raiders Odds Analysis

The Over/Under for this game keeps going up. It was as low as 33 earlier this week, and now it’s crept all the way up to as high as 37.5. The first thing this demonstrates is that Las Vegas has generally been bullish on the Over. A significant portion of NFL bettors feel the same with 82% of the tickets and 89% of the cash being wagered on the Over. 

The Raiders are favored to win this game with the spread growing from 2.5 to 4.5 points. Seventy-two percent of the tickets and 66% of the money is backing the home team.

Vikings vs. Raiders Picks

Vikings vs. Raiders ATS Pick

Raiders (-200)

As the preseason rolls along, things are looking up in Las Vegas. Backup spots are still up for grabs all over the roster, and a similar cast of players from the first preseason game will be deployed again.

Some standouts include the quarterback duo of Jarrett Stidham and Nick Mullens, who both performed well in last week’s contest. Rookie running back Zamir White will also likely see a handful of carries again, which he was able to be efficient with against the Jags. The Vikings’ quarterback duo of Sean Mannion and Kellen Mond is far less experienced, and it’s tough to see them pulling off a win.

The Raiders will likely use a lot of regulars on their offensive line as well, which will naturally ease their path to scoring points.

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Vikings vs. Raiders O/U Pick

Over 37 (-110)

As previously stated, the Over/Under of this game has been incrementally increasing for a reason. The chances of hitting the Over are very good, especially since Las Vegas is running back a similar lineup to the one that put up 27 points just a week ago. Minnesota may have trouble scoring points due to the inexperience of its quarterbacks, but Vegas’ chances of shutting the Vikings out altogether are low. The 37-point projection seems like a very reasonable total for a game that could turn into a shootout.

Vikings vs. Raiders Prop Pick

Raiders to win by 14-plus (+220)

In all seriousness, this tilt could get pretty ugly for the Vikings. Their quarterbacks won’t have many available weapons aside from the handful of snaps that wide receiver K.J. Osborn will see.

Winning margin markets are always a high-risk, high-reward game prop play, but this one seems somewhat safer due to the sheer talent disparity between the two rosters. This exact bet on the Raiders would have hit during the HOF Game and could be a shrewd play at such favorable odds.

Where to Bet on Vikings-Raiders Picks

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

FanDuel SportsbookCaesars SportsbookDraftKings SportsbookPointsBetBetMGM

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Vikings-Raiders picks made 8/14/2022 at 10:30 a.m. ET