Texans vs. Vikings Score Prediction for NFL Week 3 (Don't Bank on Minnesota)

Iain MacMillan | 2 Hours Ago

Sep 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (24) celebrates his interception against the Chicago Bears in the second half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Plenty of people predicted the Houston Texans to start off their season with a 2-0 record but few thought the Minnesota Vikings, who played the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2, would also be 2-0 ahead of this week's showdown.

The Vikings were able to pull of a significant upset against the 49ers, and the oddsmakers have begun to give them respect, setting them as only slight underdogs to one of the top contenders in the AFC on Sunday.

Can the Vikings continue to surprise people? I wouldn't be so sure.

Let's take a look at the latest odds for the game and then I'll attempt to predict the exact final score.

Texans vs. Vikings Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

• Texans -2.5 (-105)
• Vikings +2.5 (-115)

Moneyline

• Texans -132
• Vikings +112

Total

• OVER 45.5 (-108)
• UNDER 45.5 (-112)

The point spread for this game opened with the Texans being set as 2.5-point favorites. There was a moment in the middle of the week where the point spread shrunk to Houston -1.5, but it has since gone back up to the original number of Texans -2.5.

The total of 45.5 has remained stagnant throughout the week.

Texans vs. Vikings Final Score Prediction

Vikings fans should be happy about how their season has begun, but I don't expect the success to last into Week 3. In fact, I think the Texans to win and cover might be one of the easier bets on the board this week:

To continue the theme of not overreacting to two-week results, the Vikings are an early candidate to be the most fraudulent team in the NFL so far this season. They beat up on a bad Giants team and had an impressive performance against the 49ers, but the win isn't enough to convince me they're a top-tier team in the NFC.

Two games of solid performance by Sam Darnold isn't enough to erase a career of subpar quarterback play, in my opinion.

Now, they take on a Texans team that does look like a legitimate contender, building off last year's success. I'm going to bank on this being a "back to reality" game for Minnesota, so I won't hesitate to bet on the Texans with the spread at less than a field goal.

Not only do I think the Texans win this game, but I think Houston may blow this game out of the water. The Vikings are a well-coached them, but the Texans are both skilled at every position and well coached. With that in mind, I'm going to back both the Texans to win and cover and for the total to go OVER.

Justin Jefferson is set to go for the Vikings so while I'm not a huge Sam Darnold guy, they'll do enough to get on the board and help this total go OVER.

Final Score Prediction: Texans 34, Vikings 21

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