I have more faith in Baker Mayfield than others and believe he will have some success on Sunday. The Vikings will look to blitz more under DC Brian Flores, but that will leave their inexperienced corners in some tough battles with the 6-foot-5 Mike Evans. Minny's outside corners have two starts between them, and its top four corners are either rookies or second-year players. The Bucs' o-line is experienced enough to hold up under pressure for the majority of the game, giving Mayfield enough time to pick apart the Minnesota secondary.

The Vikings won't be concerned, though, as they're prepared for a fair amount of shootouts this season. It was by far the best over team in the NFL last season, and that isn't going to change in 2023-24. Minnesota is going to push the pace and attempt to put this game away early with its aerial attack indoors at home. T.J. Hockenson is a high-volume pass-catcher (9.4 targets and 56 yards with Minny) and should make even more of an impact in his second year in the Vikings system. He and Justin Jefferson will be the stars, and Jordan Addison will be eager to make his impact felt in his first NFL action.

Minnesota lost six starters from last season's defense, and Tampa Bay lost three starters, including two along the defensive line. At 44.5 points this total is too low, which I assume is because Mayfield is taking snaps for the Bucs. No matter, this is one of my favorite total bets in week one!