Buccaneers vs Vikings: Preview, score prediction for Week 3

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings will prepare to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in Week 3 as the latter travels north. The Buccaneers are 1-0 coming off a dominant 29-7 win over the Chicago Bears. This will only be the second game of the season for Tampa Bay, as their Week 1 contest was postponed due to Hurricane Irma.

As for the home team, the Vikings enter this game 1-1, coming off of a 26-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Quarterback Sam Bradford missed last week’s game due to a non-contact knee injury he suffered prior to the game. Unfortunately, that injury will keep him out for this game as well.

With Case Keenum at the helm again, what will the complexion of this game look like?

Keys to Victory

The downgrade from Bradford to backup quarterback Case Keenum was noticeable. In Week 1, Bradford had a completion rate of 84 percent and threw 346 yards and three touchdowns without turning the ball over. In Week 2, Keenum had a completion rate of 54 percent and only threw for 167 yards, failing to score a touchdown.

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With Keenum at the helm, the Vikings should rely on rookie running back Dalvin Cook to lead the offense. Cook is averaging 127.5 rushing yards per game in the first two games of his NFL career. Cook is already establishing himself as one of the most impressive young running backs in the league and seems ready for the responsibility of being the focal point of this offense. The Buccaneers are a talented team and the Vikings will need to be at their best to pull out a win, even at home.

The biggest thing the Buccaneers can do is force turnovers. Minnesota’s quarterbacks have not thrown an interception all season and have only turned the ball over once, a fumble in Week 2. If the Tampa Bay defense can lure the opposing quarterback into throwing some interceptions it not only makes their offense’s job easier but also demoralizes the Vikings.

Betting Odds

Point Spead: Tampa Bay -2.5
Moneyline: Tampa Bay -145, Minnesota +125
Over/Under: 39

Odds via Sportsbook Review

Next: NFL 2017: Picks against the spread for Week 3

Prediction

With Bradford out, this Vikings offense just can’t get the job done. Even if their defense plays well, the Buccaneers offense is good enough to still secure the victory for Tampa Bay as their defense surely takes advantage of Keenum.

Final Score: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 27, Minnesota Vikings: 17