Falcons vs. Vikings Prediction, Odds, Spread, Injuries, Trends for NFL Week 2

Iain MacMillan | Sep 9, 2025

Michael Penix Jr. and the Atlanta Falcons are road underdogs against the Minnesota Vikings in the Week 2 edition of Sunday Night Football. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The No. 8 overall pick and the No. 10 overall pick from the 2024 NFL Draft will face each other for the first time this week when Michael Penix Jr. and the Atlanta Falcons take on J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football.

The Falcons fell short against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1, with their kicker, Younghoe Koo, missing a game-tying field goal in the final play of the game. Meanwhile, the Vikings stormed back to defeat the Chicago Bears on Monday night. Now, they'll play in their second straight prime time game.

Let's dive into the odds and my best bet for this Sunday Night Football showdown.

Falcons vs. Vikings Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via BetMGM Sportsbook

Spread

• Falcons +4.5 (-110)
• Vikings -4.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Falcons +185
• Vikings -225

Total

• OVER 44.5 (-110)
• UNDER 44.5 (-110)

Falcons vs. Vikings How to Watch

• Date: Sunday, Sept. 14
• Game Time: 8:20 pm ET
• Venue: U.S. Bank Stadium
• How to Watch (TV): NBC
• Falcons Record: 0-1
• Vikings Record: 1-0

Falcons vs. Vikings Betting Trends

• Falcons are 1-7-1 ATS in their last nine games
• The UNDER is 7-3 in the Falcons' last 10 games
• Vikings are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games vs. Falcons
• Falcons are 0-4-1 ATS in their last five road games
• Vikings are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games
• Vikings are 5-0 ATS in their last five games played in September

Falcons vs. Vikings Injury Reports

Falcons Injury Report

• Tyrone Wheatley Jr., OT - IR
• Jack Nelson, OT - Questionable
• Darnell Mooney, WR - Questionable
• DeMarcco Hellams, S - Questionable
• Jamal Agnew, WR - Questionable

Vikings Injury Report

• Elijah Williams, DE - Questionable
• Harrison Smith, S - Questionable
• Zavier Scott, RB - Questionable
• Blake Cashman, LB - Questionable
• Jeff Okudah, CB - Questionable

Falcons vs. Vikings Key Player to Watch

• J.J. McCarthy, QB - Minnesota Vikings

McCarthy got off to a rough start to his first NFL start, which included an interception returned for a touchdown, but he shook it off and led the Vikings to a comeback win against the Bears, which included two passing touchdowns and one with his legs. Now, the next question is which version of the Michigan product will show up in Week 2?

Falcons vs. Vikings Prediction and Pick

In this week's edition of the Road to 272 Bets, I broke down why I'm backing the Falcons as my upset bet of the week:

I rushed to bet the Falcons in this spot. Atlanta fell short to the Buccaneers, but Michael Penix Jr. looked every bit of a great NFL quarterback, and their defense looked much improved under Jeff Ulbrich. They could cause more problems for J.J. McCarthy than some people may expect.

Making McCarthy this big of a favorite in his second-ever NFL start seems like a stretch. Atlanta has the weapons to not only cover the spread against Minnesota but also win this game outright. The Falcons are my upset pick of the week.

Pick: Falcons +185 via BetMGM

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