Vikings vs Panthers Betting Odds: Can Minnesota Limit Mistakes on Sunday?
Minnesota's -7 Turnover Differential Has Led To 0-3 Start
The Carolina Panthers had the first overall pick in the NFL Draft last season. So it’s no surprise that the Panthers are struggling to get in rhythm to begin 2023.
They’re 0-3 to start the year and are already dealing with an injury to quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft last season.
On the other hand, the Minnesota Vikings are also 0-3 after earning 13 wins in last year’s season. The Vikings would be one more loss away from having the same amount of losses that the previous year’s team had overall.
Something’s got to give.
Can the Vikings finally get in the win column against a weak Panthers team?
Look at the Vikings vs Panthers betting oddsfor Sunday’s game on FOX.
Minnesota Vikings vs. Carolina Panthers 
Day/Time: Sunday, October 1, 1:00 pm ET, 10:00 am PT
Location: Bank of America Stadium
Streaming: FOX
Only Six Teams Made The Playoffs After Awful Starts
The Vikings are likely the only 0-3 team that still has the potential to make the playoffs.
Kevin O’Connell has the Vikings won 13 games last year and began the year with aspirations for a Super Bowl. The other 0-3 teams knew there would be growing pains.
Not the Vikings.
It’s still early for the Vikings.
If Minnesota can limit turnovers, they’d probably have a winning record.
The turnovers have gotten so bad that O’Connell has threatened to bench his players for these types of mistakes.
The optimism comes at a time when the Vikings are favorites against the Panthers on Sunday. They’ve lost to the Buccaneers by three, the Eagles by six, and the Chargers by four. The Vikings aren’t getting blown out.
However, last year’s team had a negative differential and still won 13 games in a 17-game season. Luck was going to turn around eventually.
But there’s hope nonetheless. Six teams since 1979 have made the playoffs after an 0-3 start. The Vikings hope to make that seven this season.
Will Bryce Young Improve When Healthy?
The Panthers selected Bryce Young from Alabama with the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. Young has the talent and potential to be a franchise quarterback for years in this league.
But he’s struggled to begin the year.
Young has played in two games for the Panthers. He’s completed 59.2% of passes and has two touchdowns with two interceptions.
The rookie quarterback has also taken six sacks and has averaged 4.2 yards per passing play.
The longest throw he’s made was a 22-yard reception. However, his longest rush was 26 yards. He’s not earning many yards in the passing game or even completing 60% of passes.
In Week 3, Young was unavailable due to an ankle injury. He’s now questionable heading into Sunday’s game.
Andy Dalton will get another opportunity if Young can’t play in Week 4.
However, Dalton clarified to the public last week that this is Bryce Young’s team. Dalton’s just doing what he asks and doesn’t want to take anything away from Young and his potential.
Below, we’ll look at the Vikings vs Panthers betting odds for this matchup between two 0-3 teams.
Vikings vs Panthers Betting Odds
The latest NFL lines have the Vikings at -3.5, with the total at 45.5 in this game against the Panthers. Oddsmakers are still unsure if Bryce Young will play. But he’s been bad enough that the line likely won’t change if he’s playing.
Through three games, the Panthers have gone 0-2-1 against the spread. Carolina has never been a favorite but has lost as slight underdogs against the Falcons, Saints, and the Seahawks. At home, the Panthers pushed +3 against the Saints in a 20-17 loss.
Meanwhile, the Under has hit in two of three games for Carolina. The one game that went over was when Andy Dalton played quarterback.
On the other hand, the Vikings have also gone 0-2-1 against the spread this year. Minnesota pushed against the Eagles on the road but lost as favorites against the Buccaneers and Chargers.
Despite Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson’s offensive outburst, the total has gone under in two of three games for the Vikings.
This is likely because of all of the Minnesota turnovers this season.
Go Minnesota!
The Vikings have already been NFL favorites in two of three games. While they haven’t covered in either of those games, this one seems more likely for the Vikings.
Minnesota has some of the top NFL stats leaders in the passing game, with Kirk Cousins at 1,075 yards passing and Justin Jefferson at 458 yards receiving.
The offense has been excellent. They just haven’t executed due to the fumbles and turnovers. Kirk Cousins, for example, has thrown nine touchdowns and just two interceptions this season.
Typically, when a quarterback throws for over 300+ yards, you win. But the Vikings haven’t had luck on their side.
The difference in this game is that the Panthers are one of the worst tackling teams in the NFL. They’ve missed countless tackles. If that continues against the Vikings, they won’t be able to knock the ball out for any takeaways.
Carolina has a solid pass rush. But it hasn’t been easy to get through Minnesota’s offensive line. They’ve been good at protecting Kirk Cousins.
Minnesota has also rushed for only 66.3 yards per game this season. That should change against a Panthers team that has allowed 136.7 yards per game on the ground.
On the other hand, Carolina’s struggled offensively, adding only 319.3 yards per game. It’s unclear if Bryce Young or Andy Dalton will get the start. But what is clear is that Carolina’s pass protection has been horrendous.
If the Vikings can get more pressure on the quarterback, Carolina’s quarterback will struggle to throw the football against a dominant secondary that the Vikings have.
Sure, the Vikings have allowed 273.3 yards per game in the air. But that’s mainly because the pass rush hasn’t gotten through against the opposition’s offensive line. That will likely change in this game, giving the secondary plenty of opportunities to play lockdown defense and earn a couple of takeaways.
If the Vikings can finally win the turnovers battle, they’ll win a game.
Minnesota has all of the talent. They must limit the mistakes and force more errors on the other end. We think that’ll happen in this game. Back the Vikings at -3.5 (-110).
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