Your NFL betting primer for Week 2

Minnesota Vikings at Arizona Cardinals

Total: 50.5

Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. ET

TV: FOX

Did anyone make more of a statement in Week 1 than Arizona? Probably not.

Entering the opener as three-point underdogs in Tennessee, the Cards demolished a Titans team that has churned out five consecutive winning seasons. Clearly, Kyler Murray and Co. look poised to make an enormous leap.

Now they get to face the Vikings, who allowed more points last year than all but one NFC club. Minnesota is coming into the desert already banged up, too, as they’ll be without three defensive regulars in Everson Griffen (concussion), Anthony Barr (knee), and Harrison Hand (hamstring) — and possibly a fourth with Eric Kendricks (quadriceps) questionable.

The Vikings also must feel wounded from dropping their first game at Cincinnati. When you have the Bengals up first, that’s supposed to be a beautiful opportunity to start 1-0. Instead, the Vikings let that one slip away, en route to falling in overtime.

At the same time, Kirk Cousins and his cast showed plenty of signs of life by the end after a dismal first half. That leads me to believe they’ll be more in tune for all four quarters, and when that’s the case, they’re one of the best offenses around.

Look for both teams to at least score into the 20s. I’d expect this one to be competitive as well, meaning there should be enough here to propel this total over. I’m buying half a point from 50.5 to 50 in case it blooms of the 27-23/30-20 variety.

Pick: OVER 50 (-120)