This is the time of the NFL season when the true contenders start to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. While the New England Patriots are once again the cream of the crop in the AFC with Kansas City also near the top of the list, the NFC has turned into a wide-open affair with as many as five or six teams aiming for the top spot in this conference.
Two of those NFC teams in the thick of things meet this Sunday at 1 p.m. on FOX with the 3-2 Philadelphia Eagles on the road as three-point underdogs against the 3-2 Minnesota Vikings. The total for this matchup has been set at 44 points.
The Eagles struggled to a 1-2 straight-up start while failing to cover against the spread in all three games. Following a crucial road upset against Green Bay, they were able to rise above .500 with last Sunday's lopsided romp over the New York Jets. Minnesota is also off to a 3-2 start both SU and ATS. The three wins came against Atlanta and Oakland at home ahead of last Sunday's 28-10 victory against the New York Jets. Both losses were on the road to Green Bay and Chicago.
The winner of Sunday's clash will elevate their status as a legitimate contender to win the NFC while the loser will make their path to the playoffs all the more harder.
This game will feature a head-to-head matchup between the Eagles' Carson Wentz and the Vikings' Kirk Cousins at quarterback. Wentz is slowly returning to the form that had him in contention to win league MVP honors in the 2017 season. Cousins is well down the list through five starts with a quarterback rating of just 36.3. He also has a very questionable track record against the Eagles when he was the starter for Washington. The current playing form of each signal caller gives Philadelphia a huge edge in this game.
You would have to give the slight edge to Minnesota on defense as the fifth-ranked team in the NFL in total yards allowed. While the Eagles are farther down the list in that category, this unit is coming off its best game of the season. Granted, it was against the Jets but that momentum should carry over to Sunday's game.
This is the kind of separation game that could have a big impact on each team's postseason plans further down the road. Each team has two conference losses and Minnesota has already lost two games against NFC North opponents.
My top play in this one is Philadelphia on the moneyline at +150 with America's Bookie online sportsbook.
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