Week 5 of the 2025 season has arrived, and with it comes the first of three London games as the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns lock horns at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Minnesota, who have spent a week preparing in Hertfordshire after last week’s 24-21 loss to Pittsburgh in Dublin, will hope for better this time around under veteran quarterback Carson Wentz.
The Browns, meanwhile, have opted to look to the future, replacing Joe Flacco with rookie QB Dillon Gabriel, who will make his first NFL start in the London game, which kicks off at 2.30pm BST on Sunday.
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Cleveland Browns v Minnesota Vikings tips
- Cleveland Browns +3.5 on handicap @ 9/10
- Quinshon Judkins anytime touchdown scorer @ 11/5
- Under 37.5 points @ 4/6
Cleveland’s defense should take charge
While Minnesota are three-and-a-half-point favourites in north London, it could pay to take a chance on the Cleveland Browns keeping this one close.
The Vikings have a baked-in advantage having spent a week in the UK, but there was not much to like about last week’s performance in Dublin – they trailed Pittsburgh by 18 points before making the scoreline respectable with two fourth-quarter touchdowns.
Wentz, brought in as a replacement for J.J. McCarthy after the latter suffered an injury in Week 2, found life tough against the Steelers’ pass rush at Croke Park, where he was sacked six times and threw two interceptions.
Ultimately, they came up short against fairly average opposition, and things are unlikely to get easier for Wentz against a mean Browns defense which has allowed the fewest total yards in the NFL through four games of the season.
That’s despite a tough schedule – Cleveland faced the Bengals prior to Joe Burrow’s injury, then the Ravens, the Packers, whom they beat 13-10, and the Lions.
At 1-3, the Browns need to get something going and, while Gabriel is an unknown quantity at this level, Cleveland can lead on the run and their defense in order to make this competitive.
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Judkins set for a starring role
The ground game should be important for the Browns, and it would be a shock if things do not run through rookie Quinshon Judkins, who has made a brilliant start to his NFL career.
The 2025 second-round pick missed Week 1 due to a contractual issue, but he has made up for his tardy start by rushing for 237 yards off 49 carries in three appearances this season, with touchdowns coming against Green Bay and Detroit in the last two weeks.
He looks a huge red-zone threat against a Vikings defense that allowed 99 yards and two TDs to Pittsburgh’s second-choice running back Kenneth Gainwell in Dublin.
Points could be at a premium
The total is set at just 37.5, and there are no obvious reasons to expect the points to pile up at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Cleveland should keep the clock running by keeping the ball on the ground, while Minnesota were far from fluent on offense last week.
Wentz’s inability to find his star receivers with regularity, coupled with the fact that he’s up against one of the NFL’s best defensive units, points to a low-scoring clash.
All odds correct at time of writing.
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All odds correct at time of writing
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