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NFL Expert Picks: Forecasting Vikings vs. Eagles in Week 7

Oct 16, 2025 at 05:21 PM

Sam Thiel

Contributor

Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell hasn't officially named a starter at quarterback as of Thursday afternoon between Carson Wentz and J.J. McCarthy. Both QBs are working their way back from injuries (Wentz with a left shoulder injury he suffered against Cleveland in Week 5 and McCarthy with a high-ankle sprain he obtained in Week 2 against Atlanta).

A month ago, Wentz's NFL journey came full circle, as the North Dakota native and lifelong Vikings fan made his debut in the purple and gold at U.S. Bank Stadium.

On Sunday, if Wentz makes his fourth consecutive start for Minnesota at quarterback, his career will come full circle once again – this time against the team that drafted him nearly a decade ago.

Prior to his Minnesota debut against Cincinnati in Week 3 last month, Wentz had not appeared in a game at U.S. Bank Stadium since 2019, when the Vikings hosted the Eagles and the QB completed 26 of 40 passes for 306 yards. On Sunday, Wentz could play the team that drafted him No. 2 overall in 2016 nearly nine years after he started for the Eagles against the Vikings.

Or, if McCarthy returns to action, the 2024 first-round pick will make his third career start.

Regardless, it seems like most experts are leaning Eagles in this tilt.

Let's see who the experts are picking to win the game:

Eagles 24, Vikings 22 – Pete Prisco, CBS Sports

The Eagles have lost two straight and just don't look right. The Vikings are coming off a bye and might have quarterback J.J. McCarthy back. If not, it's Carson Wentz. It doesn't matter. This will come down to the Eagles getting Saquon Barkley going, and he will run through the Vikings. Eagles will win a tight one.

Eagles 28, Vikings 24 – Bill Bender, Sporting News

Will J.J. McCarthy (ankle) return for the Vikings here? The Eagles have not lost three consecutive games since 2023, but the key will be improving a run defense that ranks 27th in the NFL. Saquon Barkley has been limited to 88 rushing yards or less in every game this season. He breaks out here on the road, and Jalen Hurts does the rest.

Eagles 23, Vikings 20 – Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News

The Eagles need to stop their slide after two consecutive losses to the Broncos and Giants. If they can protect the ball in Minnesota, that should happen. The Vikings can give up yards and may struggle with the overall balance and versatility with the visitors, the Carson Wentz narrative aside.

2 of 5 experts pick the Vikings, NFL.com

Analysis from NFL.com's Brooke Cersosimo:

There's just no breathing room in the NFC North, and sand is running out of the hourglass for Minnesota to figure things out offensively. Fortunately, it had the bye week to get some key players healthy. However, J.J. McCarthy isn't yet "100 percent," so it could be Carson Wentz facing the team that drafted him in the place where the Eagles won the franchise's first Super Bowl – with an injured Wentz watching from the sideline. That should be plenty of fuel for Wentz's fire. It'll help if guard Donovan Jackson, tackle Brian O'Neill and backup center Michael Jurgens – all of whom have practiced in some capacity this week – are able to play. They'll need to be on their Ps and Qs with Jalen Carter back for Philly. Regardless, expect Wentz to lean on Justin Jefferson, who is averaging nearly four more catches per game and 45 more yards per game with Wentz at QB than McCarthy this season. Another major storyline here is Philly's offensive struggles in back-to-back losses. Offensive Coordinator Kevin Patullo wants to run the ball more – and honestly, he should. It's a crime that Saquon Barkley has rushed for fewer than 90 yards in all six games this season. This could be the week the Eagles jump-start their ground attack, with Minnesota ranking in the bottom third against the run. Brian Flores' unit has struggled without leaders Blake Cashman and Andrew Van Ginkel, but if both of them are healthy and on the field Sunday, the defense might just keep the questions about Philly's offense swirling for another week.

0 of 7 experts pick the Vikings, Bleacher Report

Bleacher Report analysis by Ian Hanford:

I'm a little surprised the entire crew is on the Eagles here, as they are struggling in every possible way at the moment. However, they're still 4-2, and I expect they're not thrilled after getting a beatdown at the hands of the Giants last week.

The Vikings defense has been very good this season, but it has struggled to stop the run, so this is a game where a rested Philadelphia team can lean on Saquon Barkley enough to eke out a win by a field goal.

Bleacher Report analysis by Moe Moton:

This feels too good to be true with all the panel on the Eagles side, but it makes sense in this spot.

The Vikings have two ailing quarterbacks going into this matchup.

Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell hasn't named a starter, but it may not matter in terms of the spread. The Eagles just need to win by a field goal on the road, which shouldn't be hard to do against a team with a banged-up QB room and three starting offensive linemen on the mend from injuries as well.

0 of 7 experts pick the Vikings, The MMQB

2 of 10 experts (1 of 11 total had not submitted) pick the Vikings, ESPN

0 of 6 experts pick the Vikings, USA Today

Series Notes

The Vikings and Eagles have met 31 times in their history, including four postseason games, with Philadelphia holding a 16-15 advantage in the series. Minnesota won seven consecutive matchups to start the series between 1962 and 1978, but Philadelphia has claimed 12 of the past 17 contests dating back to the 1989 season, including the two most recent meetings (a 24-7 victory and a 34-28 victory in Week 2 of the 2022 and 2023 seasons).

Despite the Eagles recent success, the Vikings possess an 8-4 lead in the series when playing at home, including winning four of the past six in Minneapolis dating back to the 1988 season. Minnesota has won two consecutive home games against Philadelphia entering Sunday, scoring at least 38 points in each (a 48-30 victory in 2013 and a 38-20 win in 2019). The Eagles haven't lost three consecutive games since the 2023 season, when Philadelphia fell to Arizona and the New York Giants to close the regular season before losing to Tampa Bay in the Wild-Card round.

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