The Vikings defense is very good and a big reason why I'm comfortable rolling with them on the road. My model says the Panthers should only be favored by 4 against this Vikings defense. Minnesota is being undervalued due to the loss of Adrian Peterson. However, Peterson was a non-factor in the first two weeks of the season and this team is comfortable covering the spread without him like they did all last-season. It's never fun betting against Super Cam but this number is too high. Take the points!

The loss of Adrian Peterson doesn’t sting as much as it should, since the Vikings have failed to run the ball well this year. Matt Kalil’s absence may be felt more against a tough Carolina front. Still, seven points is a lot to get for a defense that’s proven to be among the league’s best over the last year-plus. The chemistry between Sam Bradford and Stefon Diggs emerged quickly in Bradford’s first start, and I like Diggs’ chances again a suspect Carolina secondary. The Vikings will look to make this a defensive battle, and that bodes well for a low-scoring cover.

Good defenses travel well and there's no better example than what Minnesota has done since last season, covering its last eight road games. In Week 1 at Tennessee, that defense scored twice in the second half to pull out the win. Carolina got beat in Week 1 by another stellar defense and will have its hands full Sunday. The reason Minnesota covers every week is because the ratings constantly reflect their ordinary offense. And now Adrian Peterson is out, but he wasn't a factor in their two wins this year. Look for the Vikings to cover and possibly win outright.