Minnesota Vikings Vs Pittsburgh Steelers Football Picks

This weekend, the Vikings will square off with the Steelers and it should be one of the best games of the week. The Vikings are actually the underdogs in this one even though they are undefeated on the season.

The Steelers come into the game with a record of 4-2. They’ve had a bit of an up and down season so far with losses to the Bengals and Bears. So what should we expect in this game as far as Free NFL Picks go?

For the Vikings, they bring with them a very talented team to Heinz Field. Brett Favre has played great the last month and he looks to continue on his roll. He has looked like he’s still in his prime at time at times. He has a solid offensive line and an amazing running game to support him.

Anytime a team can run at will on most other teams, the quarterback will be much more productive. He will have time to throw and the safeties can’t sit back and play center field. They Steelers secondary will have to stay honest if they have a hope of containing Adrian Peterson. At that point, Favre can pick apart the secondary with his rocket arm.

As for the Steelers, they have been all over the map. At times, they look very strong. At other times, they look lost. In the last few weeks, Rashard Mendenhall has started running the ball effectively and it’s helped out the offense a lot. Before that happened, they mostly moved the ball by passing.

With a more balanced attack, the Steelers become much more dangerous. As always, they still have a stellar defense to rely on. The matchup between their defense and the Minnesota offense will be something special to watch. Who gets the upper hand in that matchup should win the game.

Check out Vernon Croy’s Expert NFL Betting Picks for Week 7.

Read more Minnesota Vikings news on BleacherReport.com

Expert NFL Sports Picks: Week Four Predictions

This weekend will mark the quarter mark of the season for many teams and it seems like it has gone by extremely fast. While we’re learning a lot about some teams, the truth is we still have a long way to go.

Many of the teams that look good now will not look so good at the end of the year, and vice versa. Therefore, don’t underestimate an underdog at this point. You never know when an underdog is just starting to gel and start winning.

What should we expect from the Free NFL Sports Picks this week?

 

Oakland vs. Houston (Houston -9.5)

As long as the Raiders have JaMarcus Russell at quarterback, don’t expect them to do much in the way of offense. While they looked decent in the first half of Week One, they haven’t looked good since. Although they seemed like a good running team, they haven’t even been able to run much with the terrible play of JaMarcus Russell under center.

The Texans are looking good on offense, but it remains to be seen whether they can stop anyone.

 

Tennessee vs. Jacksonville (Tennessee -3)

The AFC South is one of the hardest divisions to play in in the league. Every week, there is some “knock-down, drag-out” matchup that comes down to the wire. Last week, it was Jacksonville and Houston, and this week should be about the same with this game.

Will Maurice Jones-Drew be able to continue his magic against the Titans defense? Chris Johnson should have a big game against the Jacksonville defense.

 

New England vs. Baltimore (New England -2)

The Patriots put up a good game last week against the Falcons, winning easily. However, their opponent this weekend will not go down without a fight. Many believe that the Ravens are the best team in football, and this should be a great game.

Can Tom Brady start to get in-sync with his receivers again? Or will Ray Lewis and the Baltimore defense seize the day?

 

Cincinnati vs. Cleveland (Cincinnati -5.5)

Will the Cleveland offense ever be able to move the ball? This week “ Man-Genius” will try get things going by starting Derrick Anderson. Will Anderson actually make a difference?

For the Bengals, Carson Palmer looks like he’s back at full strength and should be able to move the ball against Cleveland. Look for this division rivalry to be a close game.

 

New York Giants vs. Kansas City (New York -8.5)

The Chiefs looked terrible last week against the Eagles. However, just because they looked bad, don’t count them out against the Giants. How many times have you seen a team look completely awful and then come out the next week and look like world-beaters? It happens all the time in the NFL.

This might be another blowout, but don’t rule out a close game at Arrowhead.

 

Detroit vs. Chicago (Chicago -10)

Detroit got its first win in the last two seasons last week. This week they get a much better Chicago team that has already knocked off Pittsburgh. Matt Forte should have a great game against the Detroit defense and get the ball in the end zone.

Will Matt Stafford be able to keep his offense moving against the Bears?

 

Tampa Bay vs. Washington (Washington -7)

This could be the least attractive game on the schedule this week. Both of these teams look terrible and they’re actually going to play each other this week. Anytime you’re an underdog to a team that just lost to the Lions last week, things are not looking good. That is the position that Tampa finds itself in this week after benching Leftwich.

 

New York Jets vs. New Orleans (New Orleans -7)

This could be the best game of the week as two unbeaten teams match up. The Jets look to keep things going behind rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez. On the other side of the field, the Saints have the best quarterback in the league in Drew Brees.

Will the Jets defense be able to slow down the vaunted Saints offense? Look for an entertaining game in this one.

 

Buffalo vs. Miami (Buffalo -2)

Miami looks like they’re out to prove that last year was a fluke as they have stumbled out of the gate to an 0-3 start. The Bills haven’t exactly been lighting the world on fire, but they’ve looked better than Miami so far. Last week, T.O. was held without a catch for the first time in 13 years and he probably won’t be happy about it this week.

Look for him to start a new streak this week.

 

St. Louis vs. San Francisco (San Francisco -9.5)

The Rams look like they might challenge last year’s Detroit team for the worst in the league. They lost their quarterback and haven’t looked very good at any point this season. The Niners, on the other hand, have looked good for all but the last play of their third game.

On paper, this doesn’t look like a very even matchup, but anything can happen.

 

Dallas vs. Denver (Dallas -3)

The Cowboys have looked like a juggernaut at times and awful at others. A lot of it depends on how Tony Romo is playing in each game. If he can keep from throwing picks, look out for the Cowboys. This should be a good test to see if Denver’s defense is for real or just a mirage of bad scheduling.

 

San Diego vs. Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh -6.5)

Pittsburgh comes into this game as the favorite even though they are 1-2 on the season. Usually the oddsmakers give you the benefit of the doubt when you just won the Super Bowl. This should be a pretty even game as the Chargers are a talented football team. Look for a game that goes right down to the wire here.

 

Green Bay vs. Minnesota (Minnesota -3.5)

This game is all about the Brett Favre saga, but it should actually be a pretty good game between two teams. This one will be talked about all week, leading up to the game.

 

Make sure you check out Vernon Croy’s Expert NFL Sports Picks for Week Four of the NFL season.

Read more Minnesota Vikings news on BleacherReport.com

NFL Football Picks: 2009 Minnesota Vikings Predictions

The last year for the Vikings was a successful one in terms of making the playoffs and having a good record. They finished 10-6 and made the playoffs.

However, once they got there, it was apparent that they weren’t equipped to make a run, as they lost to the Eagles in the first round. Although they had a solid defense and a great rushing attack, their passing game left something to be desired.

Did they do enough in the offseason to get the job done this time around? As far as free football picks go, expect the Vikings to make a run this season deep into the playoffs.

The Good News:

The biggest news of the offseason was obviously Brett Favre. Right up until the last minute, no one was sure if he’d play for them or not.

As it turns out, he rode in on his white horse and was immediately handed the keys to the team. While it might seem irresponsible at a glance, it is really the only option for the Vikings.

Jackson has proven that he’s not going to be anything special, and Sage Rosenfels is basically a career backup. Favre is a surefire Hall-of-Famer, and he will instantly upgrade the passing attack in Minny.

In addition to Favre, they have what many people believe is the best player in the NFL in Adrian Peterson. Peterson led the league in rushing last year and his explosiveness makes him a threat to score at any point. Combined with Favre, they should have a pretty solid offense.

On the other side of the ball, the defense will dominate again. Last year, they were the No. 1 team against the run, and they had a fierce pass rush.

With Jared Allen and the Williams brothers on the defensive line, they should again be formidable. If I’m an offensive coordinator, I know the Vikings’ defense is going to present some headaches.

The Bad News:

This also falls in the good news column, but Brett Favre could be a big distraction for the Vikes. Last year, it was a media circus in New York and Favre failed to get them to the playoffs. Many Jets’ players have said that Favre was not a good teammate and even got dressed in a separate locker room.

This preseason, the media have already reported that there is a “schism” in the locker room surrounding Favre. Many people believe that Jackson should be the starting quarterback and don’t like the fact that Favre skipped all of camp. He then comes in late and just gets everything handed to him. This could present a problem at some point in the year.

Outlook:

If you’re looking for free NFL football picks, expect the Vikings to win their division this year. They should even be able to work their way through the playoffs and make a run at the Super Bowl if Favre can stay healthy. If he goes down, it might be another up and down year for the Vikings.

Make sure you check out Vernon Croy`s NFL Football Picks this season.

Read more Minnesota Vikings news on BleacherReport.com