Favre Leads Vikings Into Cleveland As 4 Point Favorites

NFL News - September 7th, 2009 - Written by Jimmy

The Cleveland Browns will have their hands full as the Minnesota Vikings and Brett Favre come to town in week 1 of the 2009 NFL regular season. Neither the Vikings or Browns are known for having great starts. 2008 saw the Vikings struggle out of the gates en route to an 0-2 record. For the Browns, things were even worse, as Cleveland unable to get a victory until week 4 of the 2008 season. Barring a tie, either the Vikings or the Browns will begin the 2009 campaign with a W.

The 2008 version of the Minnesota Vikings defense was very effective. Being ranked high against the rush and the pass is a sure way to slow teams down on offense. The addition of Jared Allen likely helped spur the Vikings on to such a stifling defense in 2008. On the offensive side of the ball, the Vikings are likely to give teams a heavy dose of the run, as they are lead by the most explosive running back in the NFL, Adrian Peterson. If the Vikings offensive line can make the holes, Peterson should have no trouble being the league's leading rusher in 2009. With acquisition of Brett Favre, teams are going to have to play Peterson more honestly, as Favre could burn teams cheating on the run. The Vikings offense will have another weapon in the form of draft pick Percy Harvin. The rookie was a superstar at the University of Florida, and looks to bring his deadly speed to the NFL.

The Cleveland Browns have a new head coach leading the team in Eric Mangini. It will be up to Mangini to reinvigorate the offense which went stale in 2008, and to put spark into a lifeless defense. The Cleveland Browns are trying to rebuild and discover a new identity, this season, however that identity still remains to be seen. Though it is still only speculation, it is expected that Mangini will name Brady Quinn the Browns' starting QB for the 2009 season, leaving Derek Anderson hold the clipboard. The rushing attack is somewhat unstable, as Jamal Lewis will be splitting time with a committee of other running backs. Braylon Edwards must find the great hands and vision that led to much success in 2007. Edwards struggled with drops, including many for touchdowns, which plagued his 2008 season. Gone is K2 "The Solider". Kellen Winslow was shipped off to the Buccaneers in an exchange for draft picks in the 2009 NFL draft. Coming with Mangini from the New York Jets is LB Eric Barton, and DE Kenyon Coleman, who could only help the defense improve from it's 2008 form.

Whenever a team goes on the road, they generally will be the underdog, except in rare cases. Well, this is one of those cases. Currently, the Vikings are favored by 4 points going on the road to Cleveland, which would make the Browns 4 point home dogs. Figuring in 3 points for home field advantage, the oddsmakers really feel good about the Vikings in this contest. Currently, the moneyline for this game is set at -225 for the Vikings, and +195 for the Browns. The over/under is set at a total of 40 points, with both sides paying evening, over and under. The first half lines in this game are a little different than others. Instead of being right down the middle, the line is at -3 for the Vikings at -105, and +3 for the Browns at -115. First half totals for the game are expected to be at 20 points, with both sides being equal. The game is on Sunday at 1pm EST. Be sure to have all wagers in before kickoff or they will most likely not be counted.

All Betting Lines Above Can Be Found At BookMaker Online Sportsbook

To discuss this and other NFL related stories be sure to check out our new forum at:
https://www.usaplayers.com/forums/nfl-news/