Minnesota at Washington

Despite getting off to a 4-1 start on the season, the Minnesota Vikings are still not getting any respect from the oddsmakers. The Vikes are the only team to take down the mighty 49ers, who have won their last two games by a 79-3 combined score. And that game was not a lucky close win by the Vikings - they beat San Francisco handily. This team has a quickly maturing QB in Christian Ponder who is completing 69% of his passes. He has already thrown for six TDs to just two INTs with a rock solid 95.5 passer rating. He has one of the top backs in the NFL in Adrian Peterson, and perhaps the most versatile player in the league in Percy Harvin. The Vikes are 4-1 because they can play both sides of the ball. Their defense has been coming on strong, allowing just 11 points per game over their last three. Washington will almost suredly have RG3 at QB as he has been cleared to play but he's still young and despite the hype, not delivering wins more than he's losing. The Redskins’ offense has weapons too, but the glaring difference in this game is the lack of defense for Washington. The SKins are allowing 29.4 ppg and the Vikings have yet to allow any team to score more than 23. So, the Redskins are certainly in a tough spot here. I like dogs with the better defense, especially when they have a comparable offense. Play on Minnesota here assuming they are a +1.5 or greater underdog.