Originally Posted by
face
here's some stuff from this guy's website i like, walter football
Minnesota Vikings (0-0) at San Diego Chargers (0-0)
Line: Chargers by 8.5. Total: 41.5.
Walt's Projected Line (Before Preseason): Chargers -9.5.
Walt's Projected Line (After Preseason): Chargers -9.
Sunday, Sept. 11, 4:15 ET
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The Game. Edge: Chargers.
Another friendly reminder that Jerks of the Week for Sept. 5, 2011 are up, so just click the link. This week's jerks are: 1) Watermelon Woman and Meatball Man. 2) Hurricane Irene. 3) Toure.
SAN DIEGO OFFENSE: The Vikings are at a huge disadvantage in this matchup, and I don't think it's been factored into the spread, because the line has been sitting at nine for a while.
Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kevin Williams has been suspended for two games. That's huge. With Williams gone, Minnesota returns only one starter from the defensive line. Considering that this was the strength of the stop unit last year, that's not good...
Especially against Philip Rivers. It'll be very difficult for Minnesota to pressure Rivers with just Jared Allen up front, so I really don't see the Vikings slowing down San Diego's offense at all. Rivers is just too good to be allowed to operate with a clean pocket.
MINNESOTA OFFENSE: The question then becomes, can the Vikings keep up with the Chargers on the scoreboard? I say no.
The big issue for the Vikings is the offensive line. It's a mess. Left tackle Charles Johnson, in particular, is really bad. There's no way in hell Johnson will be able to keep Shaun Phillips out of the backfield, and Donovan McNabb is not the scrambler he used to be.
To neutralize San Diego's pass rush, the Vikings will have to establish Adrian Peterson. Considering that the Chargers ranked fifth against the run last year, that's easier said than done.
RECAP: The Chargers pretty much have an edge at nearly every position. They should beat Minnesota pretty easily. I just don't know why so many people expect this to be a close game. Perhaps it's because San Diego is renowned for starting slowly. But even last year, they took care of business at home, beating Jacksonville, 38-13, and Arizona, 41-10. They had their issues on the road.
SURVIVOR PICK: There is no better survivor option than San Diego this week. They're the pick.
I was asked to list six possible survivor choice each week, so here they are, from best to worst: Chargers, Browns, Cardinals, Texans (even though I have them losing), Patriots and Packers. As always, never pick a road team (which is why the Patriots are so low). Never pick a bad team. Never pick an underdog. Never save any teams. Always choose the best option.
The Psychology. Edge: None.
No edge found.
The Vegas. Edge: Chargers.
There is suddenly a ton of action on the underdog.
Percentage of money on Minnesota: 71% (28,000 bets)