2022 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 8

Arizona Cardinals (3-4) at Minnesota Vikings (5-1)

Sunday, October 30, 1:00 PM ET

The Arizona Cardinals are taking on the Vikings with some extended rest after playing the Thursday night game in Week 7, beating the New Orleans Saints rather handily thanks to a couple of touchdown passes by Andy Dalton. Touchdown passes, that is, that were thrown to the Arizona Cardinals.

The Cardinals’ defense had a pair of pick-sixes to help get this team back on track last week, and they needed that win in the worst possible way. Arizona was 2-4 going into Thursday’s matchup and tension had obviously been running high for this team. A win against the Saints has now vaulted the Cardinals into a solid position in the rather wide-open NFC West this season, but they are going to be tested in Week 8 by the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings are going to make this one of the tougher NFL picks of the week because they are playing at home and coming off of a bye week, but they are playing against a team that is such a wild card right now in the Cardinals.

Minnesota has the offensive firepower to win this matchup outright and on paper, I think the Vikings are just a better team than the Cardinals. I think after Arizona’s win and defensive showing against the Saints, they should have some serious hope of going on the road and getting a win against the Vikings, even with Minnesota coming off of a bye.

The Vikings won four straight heading into the bye, but they played the Lions, Saints, Bears, and Dolphins without their starting quarterback. The Minnesota defense has given up over 400 yards of offense this season three times already, including giving up nearly 500 yards against the Dolphins in their final game before the bye. Again, that was without Tua Tagovailoa on the field.

As much as I want to pick the Vikings coming off the bye, I’m more on the Cardinals coming off of a convincing win with DeAndre Hopkins having a huge game.

Prediction: Cardinals win 29-27