Vikings Face High-Stakes Monday Night Test Without Kyler Murray

The Minnesota Vikings host the Buffalo Bills on Monday night for a Week 9 matchup between two first-place teams.

Both squads hold a 6-1 record, but the stakes are not equal. Buffalo has a three-game lead over the New England Patriots in the AFC East. That cushion widened after Green Bay defeated New England on Sunday. A loss in Minneapolis would drop the Vikings into a tie with the 6-2 Detroit Lions. That result would push Minnesota just outside the top spot in a crowded NFC North division.

The Vikings will play without starting quarterback Kyler Murray, who is dealing with a hamstring injury. Carson Wentz will start under center. Speculation is growing that the injury may serve as a quiet benching of Murray. That talk will likely intensify if Wentz performs well against Buffalo.

One betting expert recommends the Over on a total of 44.5 points. The Vikings have an elite defense that is at home in primetime, which creates risk for that bet. However, the total may be set too low for this specific matchup. Josh Allen is expected to score, and the Vikings' passing offense should find explosive plays through varied personnel packages.

Justin Jefferson is a key player prop candidate to top 76.5 receiving yards. Going to a backup quarterback usually hurts a star receiver, but Wentz has already started games this season. In a game against the Packers, Wentz targeted Jefferson nine times. Jefferson caught eight passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns in that contest. Buffalo’s pass defense has struggled, which sets up well for another heavy workload for Jefferson.

Ty Johnson is another recommended play to go Over 14.5 receiving yards. The Bills running back has only six carries all season, but he draws 15 targets. He has cleared this number in all but one game. The risk is a Buffalo blowout where James Cook dominates the workload, but Johnson should remain involved as a quick outlet for Allen when Minnesota blitzes.

Dalton Kincaid and T.J. Hockenson are the top anytime touchdown picks. Kincaid has only two scores this season, but usage has picked up in the past two weeks. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady acknowledged moving away from Kincaid mid-season and is now designing more plays for him. Hockenson is an appealing target in the red zone, as Wentz previously relied on him as a secondary option after targeting Jefferson.