New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings Predictions: WHO YA GOT!?

We’re inching ever closer to the Minnesota Vikings’ fourth game of the 2016 NFL regular season, as they’ll be hosting the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium on Monday Night Football. As we do every week, it’s time for folks to make their feelings and predictions known for this week’s contest.

Once again, we have our prediction widget from our friends at The Crowd’s Line for your use. If you log in with your e-mail address, it will allow you to track how you’re doing every week and throughout the season.

The Vikings are coming off an incredibly impressive victory over the Carolina Panthers, but this is no time to take their foot off the gas, as the Giants come to town with what should be a very strong offensive attack. The three-headed receiving monster of Odell Beckham Jr., the returning Victor Cruz, and rookie Sterling Shepard might be the best receiving trio the Vikings see this season, and if the improved Giants’ offensive line can keep Eli Manning upright, they could cause some issues for the Vikings’ secondary.

Then again, if the Vikings can continue their recent trend of pressuring opposing quarterbacks, I’m not sure it will matter who the Giants have out there at wide receiver. The Vikings lead the NFL in sacks with 15, including eight takedowns of Cam Newton in last week’s victory. Everson Griffen, Danielle Hunter, and Linval Joseph have made life miserable for Newton, Aaron Rodgers, and Marcus Mariota through the first three weeks of this season, and Manning looks to be next on the list.

In his career against the Vikings, Manning has compiled a record of just 2-5, and his two victories have come under unusual circumstances. . .one was the Vikings’ “home” game at Detroit the day after the Metrodome roof collapsed back in 2010, and the other was a result of the Josh Freeman Experience™ on a Monday night in 2013. In those seven games, he has thrown as many touchdown passes to Vikings defenders as he has to Giants receivers. . .five of each. . .and averaged two interceptions per contest.

This could be a game where the Minnesota passing game, led by Sam Bradford, can really start to get going. As we pointed out on the injury report for this week’s game, the Giants are having some real injury issues in the secondary, as they could be without two of their top three cornerbacks and one of their starting safeties. It sounds like free agent addition Janoris Jenkins will be shadowing Stefon Diggs over the course of the evening, but the Vikings’ remaining receivers should have an advantage.

Of course, much like the Giants keeping Manning upright, the Vikings’ offensive line could have some issues keeping Bradford on his feet in the face of a very good Giants pass rush. Olivier Vernon, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Damon Harrison have keyed a defensive resurgence for the Giants up front, and if the offensive line can’t pick things up significantly, Bradford is going to take some shots. Alex Boone will likely be returning at left guard, and T.J. Clemmings wasn’t terrible in his first start at left tackle last week, but Andre Smith continues to be a disaster at right tackle. All of the Vikings’ offensive linemen are going to have to step up their games this week if Minnesota wants to remain undefeated.

On paper, this is a game that Minnesota should win, and I think they’re going to. I know that the Giants have the potential to be explosive on offense, but with the way Minnesota’s defense is playing right now, I’d have a hard time picking anybody over them.

(Yes, I know, I picked against them last week. I’ve learned my lesson.)

On Monday night, I have a feeling that Manning’s career story against the purple and gold is going to get yet another chapter that he’d rather forget.

Vikings 24, Giants 14 to move the Vikings to 4-0 on the season. That’s my prediction.

What do you have, ladies and gentlemen?