Vikings Game Sunday: Vikings vs. Raiders odds and prediction for Week 1 preseason matchup

In their first-ever game with Kevin O’Connell as their head coach, the Minnesota Vikings are kicking off their 2022 preseason against the Las Vegas Raiders.

For the first time since 2013, the Minnesota Vikings will step on the field for a preseason game without Mike Zimmer as their head coach. Against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Vikings fans will get their first in-game look at Kevin O’Connell as the team’s new head coach.

There will be plenty to watch for when Minnesota travels to Las Vegas this weekend. We already know that Kirk Cousins won’t even be making the trip after recently testing positive for the COVID-19 virus. But Cousins likely wasn’t going to play anyways and we should expect a good amount of the Vikings’ top players to also be held out to avoid any sort of injury.

On the defensive side of the ball for Minnesota, things are going to look very different regardless of who is on the field because for the first time in a very long time, the Vikings will be utilizing a 3-4 base defensive scheme.

Minnesota Vikings vs. Las Vegas Raiders odds Preseason Week 1

Point Spread:

• Vikings +4.0 (-110)
• Raiders -4.0 (-110)

Moneyline:

• Vikings +152
• Raiders -185

Over/Under:

• 33.5 points
  • Over  -110
  • Under -110

(Odds via WynnBet)

Minnesota Vikings vs. Las Vegas Raiders prediction Preseason Week 1

For their first preseason contest of the Kevin O’Connell era, Minnesota will be heading to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders, who also have a new head coach in former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Like the Vikings, Las Vegas has some notable new faces on their roster this year, including wide receiver Davante Adams and pass rusher Chandler Jones. But don’t expect to see Adams or Jones out on the field for very long on Sunday, if at all.

When it comes to preseason games, they are extremely unpredictable. Touchdowns typically aren’t very frequent, so the result of this contest will likely come down to the performance of each team’s kicker.

With Greg Joseph having the best training camp of his life this summer, his high level of play should continue on Sunday and give Minnesota the victory over former Vikings kicker Daniel Carlson and the Raiders.

Prediction: Vikings win