After an extraordinary start to 2020 in the NFC Wild Card round, the Minnesota Vikings head back on the road to Santa Clara to face the #1 seed San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings stifled the New Orleans Saints offense last week, and doing the same in the Divisional round will require another incredible performance. The 49ers finished the season 13-3, including a last-ditch defensive stand to defeat the Seattle Seahawks and clinch the top seed. The Vikings will need both sides of the ball firing on all cylinders if they are to have a shot of taking down arguably the most complete team in the NFL this season. Do our NFL betting team’s picks have the Vikings vs. 49ers NFC Divisional matchup ending in a shock? Let’s take a look.
Location: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara
Time: 4:35 pm EST
Spread: 49ers -7
O/U: 44.5
After opening at a 6.5-point margin, this game has moved to a seven-point margin, but with just 55% of the money on the 49ers, it would be surprising to see this line shift over the key number of seven. The total is seeing a remarkable betting pattern. In terms of physical bets, the number is very close to 50/50, but when you look at the money, it is a very different story. Nearly 90% of the money is coming in on the under, and if that continues, this line may tumble even closer to 40 by kickoff.
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Bet predictions from Ben Rolfe
Last week was fantastic as the Minnesota Vikings knocked off the New Orleans Saints. However, this week I expect the excitement of that victory comes back to haunt us when the 49ers host the Vikings. The combination of a bye and the talent discrepancy should make this a relatively simple game for the 49ers. However, rather than take the spread at a full seven points, I am going to tease it down to one point and simplify things.
The question is, what do we tease it with? Well, let’s take a look at some totals. The Vikings last five road games have all seen over 40 points scored, and nine of the last ten 49ers games have gone over 40 points. Therefore, let’s tease the total down to 38.5 and take the over to go with the spread teasing down to one.
2u – Teaser: 49ers -1 & Over 38.5 | -120
Bet predictions from Ryan Gosling
In our first game of the weekend, we get the Minnesota Vikings heading to San Francisco to take on the 49ers. The Niners are seven-point favorites in this NFC showdown. Minnesota will be coming into this matchup after a huge upset against the Saints last week. Kirk Cousins finally got that marquee, primetime win. The team looked like they were back to their winning ways with the return of Cook and Mattison.
The most important trend for me in this one is Kyle Shanahan. As a favorite, since taking over in San Francisco, the 49ers are 5-12-1 ATS and 3-8-1 ATS as a home favorite. As good as the Niners are, they have a hard time covering spreads. That should be important in this one, considering they have to cover an entire touchdown.
Road dogs tend to do well in the Divisional round historically. This Vikings team is getting their act together at the right time. If Cousins can continue to take care of the ball and limit mistakes, then this one will likely be close. I also lean to the under because both these teams love to run the ball and have long, methodical drives.
1.5u – Teaser: Vikings +14 & Under 52 | -120
Bet predictions from Jason Sarney
With the Vikings coming off of a fantastic road victory against the touchdown-plus favored Saints, they answered the call with an overtime victory. I am not opposed to endorsing a money line play here, but San Francisco is a beast of a team. The Vikings do match up well with them, and Dalvin Cook and a solid defense can keep this game tight. Look for a one-possession game, and we could even see another overtime frame.
1u – Minnesota Vikings +7.5 | -105
1u – Under 45 Total Points | -107
Bet predictions from Chris Smith
The Minnesota Vikings are coming off the biggest upset of Wild Card weekend against the Saints. The video of the locker room celebrating was fun to watch, but it also got me thinking about just how little time the Vikings truly had to savor the win before their brutal travel week kicked in. From New Orleans to Minnesota, and then onto San Francisco for an early west coast time kickoff against the top-seeded 49ers.
The San Francisco defense is the healthiest it’s been in over a month, and now they take on a Vikings offense that’s built for dome turf, as opposed to potentially soggy sod in Santa Clara. Everything seems to be pointed towards a 49ers victory on Saturday, but the line itself gives me pause. A part of me wishes I had gotten in on -6.5 while it was still available, but I don’t feel nearly as comfortable laying the full touchdown here. I currently lean strongly towards San Francisco in this one, but I wait to see the injury report and weather before making any official plays.
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