Through 2 Quarters

although the Minnesota Vikings were the underdogs at kickoff, they’ve since taken control of the gameMinnesota has a bit of a cushion as they currently lead the Houston Texans 17-6 at halftimeThe Vikings have been led by RB Dalvin Cook, who so far has rushed for two TDs and 60 yards on 15 carries.

Minnesota and Houston have certainly played as if they’re avenging a loss, because they are. Minnesota will have to keep the pressure on with a whole half to play.

Who’s Playing

Minnesota @ Houston

Current Records: Minnesota 0-3; Houston 0-3

What to Know

The Houston Texans will take on the Minnesota Vikings at 1 p.m. ET Sunday at NRG Stadium. Both teams have had a rocky road up to this point with three consecutive losses apiece.

Houston came up short against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, falling 28-21. No one had a standout game offensively for the Texans, but they got scores from WR Will Fuller, WR Randall Cobb, and RB David Johnson.

Meanwhile, Minnesota had victory within their grasp but couldn’t quite capture it last week as the team lost 31-30 to the Tennessee Titans. Despite the loss, the Vikings got a solid performance out of RB Dalvin Cook, who rushed for one TD and 181 yards on 22 carries.

Houston is the favorite in this one, with an expected 3.5-point margin of victory. True fans might be the only ones betting on them, currently 0-3 ATS, to cover the spread.

The losses bumped both teams down to an identical 0-3. A couple defensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Houston is stumbling into the game with the most rushing yards allowed per game in the NFL, having given up 188.3 on average. Minnesota has experienced some struggles of their own as they are third worst in the league in yards allowed per game, with 440 on average. It’s possible one of these Achilles’ heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.

How To Watch

• When: Sunday at 1 p.m. ET
• Where: NRG Stadium — Houston, Texas
• TV: FOX
• Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Ticket Cost: $60.40

Odds

The Texans are a 3.5-point favorite against the Vikings, according to the latest NFL odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Texans as a 4.5-point favorite.

Over/Under: -109

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Series History

Minnesota won the only game these two teams have played in the last six years.

• Oct 09, 2016 – Minnesota 31 vs. Houston 13

Top Projected Fantasy Players

• Dalvin Cook: 14.4 points
• Deshaun Watson: 22.45 points
• Adam Thielen: 9.42 points