Minnesota Vikings at Houston Texans NFL Picks, Odds, Predictions 10/4/20
2020-10-04 13:00:00 EDT
The Minnesota Vikings and the Houston Texans meet Sunday in Week 4 NFL action from NRG Stadium.
The Vikings come into this one at 0-3 on the season so far. Last week against the Titans, Minnesota lost another tough game 31-30. As for the Texans, they’re also 0-3 in 2020. Houston hung in there versus the Steelers last weekend, but ultimately fell 28-21. Check back all season long for free NFL picks and NFL predictions at Sports Chat Place.
The Vikings have myriad issues this season on both sides of the ball, but most of the finger-pointing has been toward the defense. Minnesota has given up at least 28 points in all three outings this season, and at least 31 in two of those three. The Vikes fell to the Packers 43-34 in Week 1, then 28-11 versus the Colts and 31-30 to Tennessee.
In the Week 3 loss, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins put up 251 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Justin Jefferson was the top receiver for Minnesota there with seven catches for 175 yards and a TD, while Dalvin Cook rushed for 181 yards and a score himself.
Over on the Texans’ side, they’ve had trouble on both offense and defense this season. Houston fell to the Chiefs 34-20 in the opener, then 33-16 to the Ravens and 28-21 to the Steelers. The Texans haven’t scored more than 21 points this season yet, and they’ve given up at least 28 points in every game—but granted, those games have been against some good teams.
In the loss to the Steelers Week 3, Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson posted 264 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. David Johnson was the lead rusher on a paltry 23 yards but did score a TD, and Randall Cobb caught four balls for 95 yards and a touchdown of his own.
The Vikings are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games in Week 4 and 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 games in October. Minnesota is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as an underdog and 2-7 ATS in their last nine games as a road underdog.
Meanwhile, the Texans are 14-4 ATS in their last 18 games in Week 4 and 3-8 in their last 11 home games. Houston is 2-6-1 ATS in their last nine games as a favorite and 2-7 ATS in their last nine games on turf.
Pick: I’m begrudgingly going with Houston here, but this should be a close game so it’s a tough one to call. The Texans have had the misfortune of going up against three of the AFC’s best in the first three weeks, so we’ll get to see what the team is made of versus a more manageable Vikings squad. I expect Minnesota to put up some points as well, so this should be a fairly high-scoring affair. I think Houston ekes out the cover though.
