We’ve got a pair of 7-6 teams coming off of a win and trying to position themselves for the postseason.
The Minnesota Vikings have been great after a slow start to this season, but it’s the Cincinnati Bengals with more stability under center. That makes them the target for the first same game parlay on a busy Saturday, so let’s dive right in!
Vikings vs. Bengals Betting Lines
All odds are from ESPN BET — sign up today and use promo code PFN when registering to secure $250 in bonus bets!
- Spread
Bengals -3 - Moneyline
Vikings +140, Bengals -166 - Total
40.5
Vikings vs. Bengals Same Game Parlay
We here at Soppe HQ like to encourage responsible gaming, and in that vein, I’ll always offer you a trivia question off the top of these articles. Pose this question to a buddy you are watching the game with: answer correctly, and you pay for the SGP; misfire, and he/she is on the hook.
Trivia Question: Who has more career touchdown receptions: Justin Jefferson or Ja’Marr Chase?
I’m telling a very specific story for this game and, to a degree, it spits in the face of some recent trends. Or does it?
As a Tee Higgins manager in fantasy football, I can assure you that this season has been an underwhelming one. But that’s the past. Could this be a spot for him to repeat the minor success he saw last week against the Colts and help us cash a ticket?
We all know that the Vikings love to blitz and that leaves their corners on an island at times. Since the beginning of November, that defensive game plan has resulted in their opponents being ultra-accurate when targeting secondary options in the passing game.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
In my opinion, that tracks. They can’t top everything, and if they are going to continue to blitz, they are going to try to limit the opposing WR1 and take their chances.
Over that stretch, the primary secondary option has caught 28 of 32 targets (87.5%, the players included Jakobi Meyers, Cole Kmet, Alvin Kamara, Jerry Jeudy, and Kyle Pitts). If we think Browning is going to be efficient when throwing Higgins’ way, that opens everything up!
The Vikings have the second-highest opponent completion percentage this season (69.7%), a testament to their blitz-heavy scheme leaving receivers in advantageous spots. Building on that thought, those five players mentioned above caught an average of 5.6 passes per game; with Higgins averaging 13.6 yards per catch this season, clearing 60 yards is a reasonable thought.
If you want to build up this SGP a bit further, all you have to do is sell yourself on Higgins, turning one of those single-coverage situations into a splash play. Since the beginning of 2022, he is averaging 97.7 receiving yards per game in games where he has a 20-yard catch.
Let’s circle back to Browning.
He has thrown just one interception on 61 attempts over the past two weeks and has excelled at not putting the ball in harm’s way. He spread the ball around last week (six players saw 3-4 targets), and the screen game proved productive.
To me, that proves two things – Cincinnati is working to protect their backup QB, and he’s a good decision-maker.
The Vikings are the fourth-best run defense on a per-carry basis, making it even more likely that the quick-strike pass game is featured in a significant way this week. If that’s the case this week, we are in great shape!
- Trivia Answer: Despite being drafted a season later, Ja’Marr Chase (29) has more touchdown receptions than Justin Jefferson (28).
- Same Game Parlay Pick: Tee Higgins 60+ receiving yards, Jake Browning 225+ passing yards, Jake Browning under 0.5 interceptions
- Odds: +550 (at DraftKings)
Our Betting Lines page has the freshest lines and promos to get BANG for your buck. PFN’s FREE Parlay Calculator and Betting Odds Calculator are also available for your betting process! New to sports betting? Check out our guide on How to Bet on the NFL. Visit our Sports Betting Legal Tracker on how to bet legally in the U.S.