When the NFL schedule was released in April, probably the most intriguing thing about Sunday's game between the Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders was that it would be the first time Teddy Bridgewater and Derek Carr, who were taken four picks apart in the 2014 draft, would face off as NFL starting quarterbacks.
NFL picks and predictions, Vikings vs. Raiders 2015: Oakland favored to get back above .500
The Vikings and Raiders meet on Sunday in a pivotal matchup between two of the NFL’s biggest first-half surprises.
While that storyline is still interesting, there are far bigger implications for both teams in this matchup featuring two of the NFL’s biggest surprises.
The Vikings were a popular preseason darkhorse pick to make the playoffs, but few envisioned that they'd be where they are now at the season's halfway point. Riding a four-game win streak, its longest since 2012, Minnesota is 6-2 and tied atop the NFC North with the Packers. Staying there, however, won't be easy.
The Vikings have faced the easiest schedule in the NFL to date, per Football Outsiders, and their future slate ranks as the league's hardest. The Vikings' six wins have come against teams with a combined win percentage of .286, the second-worst "strength of victory" in the conference, and have yet to beat anyone with a winning record. That could be a problem for Minnesota, given that its only remaining game against a sub-.500 team is Week 15 versus the Bears.
The Raiders don’t have the gaudy record of the Vikings, but the long-suffering fans in Oakland are likely still happy to be rooting for a 4-4 team that has already surpassed its win total from last year. Although they are currently on the periphery of the wild-card race, Football Outsiders’ projections are optimistic about their postseason chances, giving them 39.3 percent odds to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002.
The experts are heavily favoring the home team in this matchup, thinking that the Raiders will beat the Vikings to get back above. 500. Over at CBS Sports, seven of the eight guys have Oakland, and the majority of ESPN’s crew is also picking the Raiders. Here at SB Nation, our fearless group has the Raiders by a 6-1 margin.
| Ryan Van Bibber | Stephen White | Joel Thorman | David Fucillo | Danny Kelly | Matt Ufford | OddsShark | |
| MIN vs OAK | OAK | OAK | MIN | OAK | OAK | OAK | OAK |
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