NFL Sunday Follows The Chalk, As Giants, Vikings Take Home Wins

Posted on: October 3, 2022, 06:45h. 

Last updated on: October 3, 2022, 02:15h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

Week 4 in the NFL hasn’t delivered too many surprises. There’s still one more game to go, as the L.A. Rams meet the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. But that should be easy money for sports bettors as well.

Vikings vs Saints
The Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints doing battle in London. The game was one of several that had bettors’ attention on Sunday. (Image: Minnesota Vikings)

Sunday brought the first of five international games the NFL has on its schedule this season. The New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings met at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. There will be two more in the city, as well as one each in Munich, Germany, and another in Mexico.

The Saints had to contend with the absence of several key offensive players, and it showed. They were without starting quarterback Jameis Winston, wide receiver Michael Thomas, running back Alvin Kamara, and center Andrus Peat. Despite this, New Orleans put on a spectacular show.

The Saints Curse Continues

The Vikings (3-1) took control of the game in the first quarter before the Saints’ defense came alive.

The Saints had to rely heavily on backup QBs Andy Dalton and Taysom Hill to move the offense, though they couldn’t get things going until the second quarter. The two teams then went back and forth, although New Orleans controlled the scoreboard. Then, the Vikings got a helping hand.

Anyone who follows NFL has seen the Saints become the target of questionable penalties over the years. Some of these have cost the team a possible run at the championship.

Sunday was no different. The Vikings made the most out of a call with five minutes left to convert their run into points. Safety Tyrann Mathieu was hit with pass interference for allegedly jamming his hands into Justin Jefferson’s face. Replays show that Mathieu came in on the shoulder, not the face.

Only a couple of minutes later, with the Vikings mounting a late comeback, the Saints would receive another penalty. A bad pass interference call on Marshon Lattimore, despite almost having his head ripped off by Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen, gave Minnesota the advantage once again.

The Saints, now 1-3, didn’t give up, and continued to fight. A 61-yard field goal to tie the game failed, allowing the Vikings to secure a 28-25 victory. That wasn’t quite enough to cover the 3.5-point spread many sportsbooks were offering. But it was good enough for anyone who backed the favorite to win.

Bears Come Up Short

The Chicago Bears fell to the New York Giants, despite their defense taking out two quarterbacks. Daniel Jones, the Giants’ starting QB, picked up two rushing touchdowns before an ankle injury sidelined him in the second half. He has to be wondering what the offensive line is doing, since he continues to be swept off his feet week after week.

Tyrod Taylor came in to fill the QB void, but suffered a concussion almost immediately after taking the field. Jones returned to the game, leading the Giants (3-1) to a 20-12 win. With that, the Bears drop to 2-2.

There weren’t any surprises in this game, as the Giants had the support of the sportsbooks. The under 38.5 was a good option for bettors who expected a low-scoring game.

Bucs Pummeled in Their Own House

The Kansas City Chiefs were out to prove something yesterday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they did. A fumble on the opening kickoff by Tampa Bay’s Richaad White set the pace of what was to come.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes racked up 249 yards, which included three TD passes. The Chiefs breaking the goal line five times was too much for the Bucs, who lost 41-31.

https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1576747787227627520

Once again, Mahomes showed that he’s as much an acrobat as a football player. The Chiefs had a field day in the red zone, where the Bucs defense struggled to remain focused.

Tom Brady tried his best for the Bucs, but he couldn’t carry Tampa Bay alone. He picked up 385 yards and three TDs, but the ground game was horrendous. Leonard Fournette was ineffective as Tampa Bay only had three yards rushing the entire game.

The Chiefs move to 3-1, while the Bucs are now 2-2. For those who backed the underdog, congratulations are in order. If you took the over, you made out even better.

Rams Take a Road Trip

The L.A. Rams (2-1) will visit the San Francisco 49ers (1-2) today for an NFC West matchup that should be watched closely. The Niners are 6-1 in this series since 2018, but the Rams have a chance to reverse that trend.

L.A. just took out the Arizona Cardinals last week, which was a wake-up call. They have now won two in a row and are beginning to come alive.

The 49ers are bringing in Jimmy Garoppolo after relegating him to backup Trey Lance. Lance went down in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. The veteran Garoppolo couldn’t get things going against the Denver Broncos last week.

The defending Super Bowl champs started the season slow, but are finding their stride. They enter this game as the underdogs, getting +105 to the Niners’ -125 on DraftKings. FanDuel, Caesars and others have similar numbers.

The Rams are ready for another victory and are looking to score a road win against San Francisco. The over/under is 42.5, and the under has been the big winner for both teams lately. This is likely to be a game that leans heavily on the defense, so backing the under is the way to go.