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| Minnesota Vikings vs. Oakland Raiders |
The latest odds for this exciting NFL game and all of the great wagering action on the gridiron can be found at Bet Phoenix. The Minnesota Vikings play host to the Oakland Raiders this Sunday afternoon at Mall of America Field. Game time is set for 1:00 PM, and the early football odds favor the Vikings by -1 1/2 points. The Minnesota Vikings, 2-7 after they were slammed by the Green Bay Packers 45-7 on Monday night, have little to hang their hats in 2011. Free agent signee Donovan McNabb fell short of expectations and was replaced by rookie Christian Ponder, who made his first NFL start against Green Bay in Week 7, and despite a 33-27 loss, the rookie showed enough poise and ability to keep his starting position. The following week Ponder captured his first NFL victory, 24-21 at Carolina, although a missed field goal by the Panthers at regulation's end prevented overtime. After a bye week, Ponder again found himself facing the Packers, and the result this time was a 38-point shellacking. Ponder's numbers after just three starts, 56 for 111, 744 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs, show promise, but the rookie still has a lot of maturing ahead. If not for RB Adrian Peterson, the NFL's fifth-leading rusher with 846 yards, as well as WR Percy Harvin (869 all-purpose yards), Minnesota would be virtually "offensive-less." The defense isn't quite as needy, but several key components could be considered past their prime, age-wise, and that needs to be addressed. Of course having DE Jared Allen lining up on Sundays disguises a lot of shortcomings, and he appears to be in his prime. His lone sack on Aaron Rodgers Monday night gives him 13 1/2 on the season, tops in the NFL. It would be difficult to find any player league-wide whose motor runs at Allen's speed, and without him, it's a fair assumption to say that Indianapolis would probably have company in the winless department. The AFC West's first-place team, the Oakland Raiders, took a huge gamble by trading for QB Carson Palmer, who was dissatisfied in Cincinnati and was threatening to retire if he wasn't traded. In just two starts, the 31-year old Palmer has gone 1-1, and in the process has rejuvenated the Silver and Black's hopes for making the playoffs. His latest game, last Thursday night at San Diego, saw the veteran QB lead Oakland to a 24-17 victory, connecting on 14 of 20 passes for 299 yards and 2 TDs. That win, combined with Kansas City's loss to Denver this past Sunday, gave Oakland a 1/2 game advantage in the division. Palmer had plenty of help however, with RB Michael Bush, starting in place of the injured Darren McFadden (foot) plowing for a career-best 157 yards on 30 carries, as the Raiders, the league's 4th-ranked rushing team, shredded the Chargers run defense for 191 yards. Oakland's defense isn't quite as prolific as their offense, but they employ an interesting mixture of experience and youth, and have shown all season long that they are capable of coming up big in clutch situations. Veteran DT Richard Seymour, considered washed-up by New England, has resurrected his career and is the defensive unit's unquestioned leader. Middle linebacker Rolando McClain is a fast-rising star, inviting comparisons to another Bay Area 'backer, 49ers Allpro Patrick Willis. The secondary, comprised of cast-offs and under-achievers, has become an aggressive, opportunistic group capable of holding their own. The Raiders have momentum going for them, and with Palmer becoming more and more comfortable, the best is definitely still to come. Next week, a big test faces them when the Chicago Bears come to town, and coach Hue Jackson's biggest challenge this week might be keeping his team's focus on the Vikings. For Minnesota fans, all they can do is be patient with Ponder at the helm, and hope management is aware that more skilled athletes in Viking Purple is an absolute must. Minnesota travels to Atlanta next week, where they'll be going against a team that can ill afford to lose to a 2-7 team if they harbor postseason aspirations. The Vikings are a better team at home and they have been improving week by week with a rookie quarterback and a surprisingly good defense. This could be the week it all comes together for the Vikings or another victory for the Raiders. 
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