Vikings vs Giants Playoff Predictions

Below is a sampling of the predictions for the Vikings-Giants playoff game. The Vikings are getting the slight nod in these predictions but there are enough naysayers that could cause some concern.

What will be the keys to the game. After re-watching the last game, the first key is to be sure to have plenty of beer or whatever beverage you enjoy.

I think that the Giants should try a little more ball control. The last game they had the ball for 29:13 while the Vikings had it for 30:47. The best thing to do is keep the Vikings off the field. The two turnovers the Giants had did not help at all. I expect more Barkley and for Jones to run a bit more.

If the Vikings get Bradbury back that would be great. Brandel coming back is good too even if he does not start. I hope the team gets the ball out to JJ, Thielen, Osborn, and Hockenson early and often. The strength of the offense is in the passing game so I would let it fly.

Overall, the teams are fairly evenly matched but JJ gives the Vikings the one clear advantage. Considering it will be his first playoff game, I expect him to be juiced up and ready to explode!

Note: most of the links have more information and say a bit more about the game. I would encourage you to take a look.

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https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/giants-vikings-odds-prediction-betting-trends-nfl-wild-card-playoff-game/e12f2mvdgc5rcabrflbyfgfk

This could be the best game on Sunday, as the Giants won’t back down to anybody. Daboll will have his team ready to go, and bettors should feel comfortable laying the points with the G-Men. However, the Vikes have been one of the best home teams this season (8-1) and will find a way to win in the fourth quarter, thanks primarily to the duo of Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson.

PREDICTION: Vikings 24, Giants 21. The Giants will cover (+3), and the total will go UNDER (45).

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https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/priscos-nfl-super-wild-card-weekend-picks-cowboys-finally-beat-tom-brady-giants-exact-revenge-on-vikings/

These two played on Christmas Eve, and the Vikings needed a 61-yard field goal by Greg Joseph to win it. The Giants gained 448 yards of offense that day and probably should have won the game. But they didn’t. Now it’s a road playoff game, which will be a challenge. Even so, I think Brian Daboll will take advantage of a bad Minnesota defense. This one should be high scoring, as Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson will make some plays, but it will be the Giants that win it with a late field goal this time to advance.

Pick: Giants 30, Vikings 28

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https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-playoffs-picks-predictions-spreads-wild-card/l1rclmajddocsk0qhknhgxl6

The Giants and Vikings just played a Week 16 thriller in Minnesota, won by the hosts 27-24 on a 61-yard field goal. The Giants’ defense has had a lot of issues against better offenses, starting with not being able to stop the run and having trouble with both inside and outside downfield coverage. The Vikings should get Justin Jefferson and all their weapons rolling again without the elements.

Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley will do their best to keep the Giants in the game with plenty of running and a few big plays, but the Vikings will be able to move the ball more consistently all afternoon.

Pick: Vikings win 31-24 and cover the spread.

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https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10060882-nfl-playoffs-wild-card-weekend-matchups-breakdown-and-early-predictions

Despite a sparkling 13-4 record and an NFC North title, the Minnesota Vikings look shaky going into the playoffs. Last week, they went down in NFL history as the first 12-win team with a negative point differential, per Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders.

For starters, the Vikings don’t blow out opponents in victory. Before Week 18, they hadn’t won by more than eight points since their Week 1 triumph over the Green Bay Packers.

Secondly, the Vikings hit rock bottom when they don’t play well. Minnesota has lost all four of its games by at least 11 points, which includes two defeats by 24-plus points over the past couple of months.

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Jones has completed at least 71 percent of his passes in his last two starts. On top of that, running back Saquon Barkley can run wild on a run defense that’s allowed an average of 138.7 yards over the last six weeks.

Big Blue avenges its Week 16 loss to the Vikings in an upset.

Prediction: Giants 28, Vikings 24

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https://www.oddschecker.com/us/picks-parlays/football/nfl/20230109-vikings-vs-giants-prediction-pick-odds-can-we-trust-kirk-cousins-in-the-nfc-wild-card-game

I am all over the Vikings here. Listen, I understand we all think the Vikings are frauds, but they are playing the New York Giants at home. I will be shocked if the Vikings do not win this game and cover with relative ease. The Giants overachieved this year, and this is a tough spot to go in and beat Minnesota in their own building. Minnesota was an outstanding home team this year, going 8-1 in their own building. New York, meanwhile, struggled at times on the road going 4-4. I think that Kirk Cousins and this Vikings offense will be too much for the Giants to keep pace with on Sunday.

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https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-picks-predictions-wild-card-playoffs/vmrwyir911otf6ug0dyhccca

This is the best chance for a road upset. The Giants took the Vikings to the limit in Week 16, and Saquon Barkley had 133 total yards and a TD. The Giants are 5-1 when Barkley gets 20 carries or more, and he needs to have a monster performance in his first playoff game for New York to have a chance. The spotlight will be on Kirk Cousins, too. He’s 1-3 in the playoffs, and this is his first home start for the Vikings. The difference in that first matchup was Minnesota did not have a turnover. If the Giants can force a few miscues, then they will have a chance. We are still sticking with the home team. Justin Jefferson – who had 12 catches for 133 yards in the first meeting – busts loose again.

Pick: Vikings 28, Giants 22

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https://www.profootballnetwork.com/giants-vs-vikings-prediction-odds-pick-nfl-betting-wild-card-round-2023/

Minnesota’s defense — particularly their secondary — has been well-discussed this season, and it’s an advantage that New York will need to take advantage of in order to pull off this upset. The Vikings are allowing the second-most passing yards per contest this year with 265.8.

It all comes down to whether or not New York has the playmakers to take advantage of that mismatch. If they step up, we could see a pretty big upset right out of the gates in this postseason.

As for the Vikings, they’re coming off a solid 29-13 victory over the Chicago Bears and wrapped up the 2022-2023 regular season with an impressive 13-4 record. With that being said, it is seemingly an impossible task to try and predict what this team will do any given week.

The Vikings will need more from their veteran QB and this passing game if they hope to offset their own defensive struggles. If they can get a rebound performance from Cousins, it would go a long way to getting a victory and silencing the naysayers.

Giants 24, Vikings 21

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https://www.fanduel.com/theduel/posts/giants-vs-vikings-prediction-odds-best-bets-nfc-wild-card-playoffs-01gpbnwgpzsr

These two team have one obvious thing in common and that is an ability to win close games. The Vikings posted an outstanding 11-0 record in games decided by one possession, while the Giants come in not too far behind with a 8-4-1 record. This playoff game should come down to the wire, too.

The Giants have relied on their rushing attack to outscore opponents as they average 148.2 yards on the ground per game (No. 4 in NFL). On the other side, its a daunting pass attack that has kept the Vikings winning games. They average a reliable 263.8 yards through the air per game (No. 6 in NFL).

I’m going to take a gamble and back an upset in this matchup due to Minnesota’s subpar defense. The Vikings are allowing the second-most yards per game (388.7) and the fourth-most points per game (25.1) this season. Their luck is going to run out if they cannot link together constant defensive stops.

Final Score Prediction: Giants: 28 | Vikings: 24

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https://gmenhq.com/2023/01/09/giants-vs-vikings-prediction-odds-nfl-wild-card-round/

I’ve faded the Vikings all year, I’ve called them frauds and I stand by every word. This team has been incredibly lucky to get to 13-4. 11 of their wins are by one score, that is unheard of and the exact type of team you want to fade come the postseason and even next year the under on their season total will be a smart play.

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It’s time for Minnesota’s shamrock and horseshoe powered season to come to an end.

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https://clutchpoints.com/vikings-nfl-playoff-predictions-after-week-18

The Vikings will need their wide receivers to bring their A-game. We expect KJ Osborn and Justin Jefferson to do just that.

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Based on the teams’ performances this season and their previous matchup, it is likely that this game will also be a closely contested battle. Despite that, we have Minnesota scraping by on a huge fourth-quarter drive that will result in the game-winning score.

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https://thegameday.com/nfl/giants-vs-vikings-predictions/

Minnesota has an average scoring margin of -0.2 points. This means that they have allowed slightly more points than they have scored this season.

They should have a .500 record, but because of luck, they look gnarly on the surface.

Looking at the Vikings’ schedule, it is easy to spot a pattern of them getting lucky. They beat the Giants on a game-ending 61-yard field goal, beat the Colts in overtime, and narrowly beat the Jets in a game they almost lost in the last minute.

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The Giants have been consistently decent this season, and they could win this game outright. At times, they have shown up this season against mediocre teams, and I could see them pulling off an upset against the Vikings.

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https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/new-york-giants-minnesota-vikings-playoff-preview

VACCHIANO: I’m all about sunshine and rainbows! I spent the last six years covering the Giants and Jets and watching them go 60-134 combined! The more sunshine and rainbows the better!

Ah, who am I kidding? I’d like to be sunny and rainbow-y about the Giants, but they’re just not that good. I watch them and I don’t understand how they keep pulling out games with the talent they have. I know what they did in Minnesota on Christmas Eve. It was remarkable. And they blew it. They had like five chances to put the game away and they blew it. They should have won.

But I think this time they’re expecting to win, and they’re going to get a rude awakening. The Vikings are too good in too many key spots. So I’ll say Vikings 27, Giants 20. Close, but probably not close enough.

And you?

VITALI: For posterity’s sake, it’s gotta be a one-score game. I’m still not sure that I fully trust the Vikings in these moments but they have the benefit of being at home in one of my favorite environments in the NFL and put bluntly, severely outmatch the Giants’ talent. I also think Minnesota pulls it out once again, 29-27. Sure. Why not?

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https://www.gamingtoday.com/news/nfl-playoff-predictions-2023/

The Minnesota Vikings have one of the most productive offenses in the league (fifth overall), with WR Justin Jefferson leading the way with league-highs of 128 receptions and 1,809 yards while teaming with QB Kirk Cousins.

On the ground, there’s RB Dalvin Cook with 1,173 yards, who ranks sixth.

Minnesota should have more than enough firepower against a New York Giants team that feasted on squads with double-digit losses this season, going 6-0-1, but only 2-6 against squads that qualified for the playoffs, including a 27-24 loss in Minnesota two weeks ago.

The Vikings do have the league’s 31st-ranked defense, but such a ranking didn’t stop Kansas City from reaching the AFC title game four years ago or the 2011 New England Patriots from getting to the Super Bowl.

Skol!

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https://www.docsports.com/2023/nfl-betting-predictions-wild-card-weekend-with-opening-line-picks.html

The Vikings have a perfect 11-0 record in one-score games, while the Giants aren’t far behind at 8-4-1.

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The Vikings always found a way to win, and they will do so once again against the Giants. Justin Jefferson and Kirk Cousins will be able to cook up a solid Giants defense, and the Giants won’t be able to match them offensively.

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A solid run game has helped the Giants succeed. And if they took Jones out of the equation, they might have a chance, but I’m expecting some crucial mistakes from the young quarterback. I’m not expecting a back-and-forth contest. And if the Giants fall behind and are forced to throw the ball, the game could get out of hand quickly for them. Take the ‘fraudulent’ Vikings at a very reasonable -3 price.

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https://nflspinzone.com/2023/01/10/2023-nfl-picks-score-predictions-wild-card-round/4/

This matchup is very intriguing considering a lot of people just don’t buy the Vikings’ success this year, despite the fact they had 13 wins. Part of the reason people are thinking the Vikings’ 2022 season was a bit of fool’s gold? They had a -3 point differential in their 17 games. That’s pretty crazy when you think about the fact that the team won 13 games in total, even though 11 of them were one-score games.

The Giants have had their share of close calls this year as well, but you could look at the bright side of things and say that the difference for these two teams that were non-playoff squads in 2021 is coaching. Certainly, having better coaching can help you execute properly in close games.

These two teams have very different strengths and weaknesses, but they played each other close back on Christmas Eve with the Vikings winning 27-24. Can the Vikings make that kind of lightning strike twice in the same season? I’m going with an upset pick here.

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https://www.vikings.com/video/vikings-giants-preview-and-predictions-nfl-network-x1866

6 out of 10 predict Giants

https://www.footballdb.com/games/preview.html?gid=2023011502

(stats)

https://www.si.com/nfl/2023/01/12/mmqb-staff-super-bowl-57-predictions

https://sports.yahoo.com/2023-nfl-playoff-super-bowl-144559946.html