- The Minnesota Vikings begin the regular season against the New York Giants, with kickoff at 1 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
- The Vikings are favored by 1.5 points over the Giants, with the game total set at 41.5.
- Daniel Jones will be back under center for New York, while Sam Darnold is set for his first start with Minnesota.
It's time for my Vikings vs. Giants prediction.
The Vikings (7-10) begin life without Kirk Cousins with Sam Darnold under center today as road favorites against the Giants (6-11). Neither team has a lot of hype entering the season, but one will start its campaign 1-0.
Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Giants Picks
SPREAD
I'm betting on Minnesota as a road favorite, laying 1.5 points at MetLife Stadium.
MONEYLINE
I'm keeping my pick on the spread, although I do think the Vikings will win the game.
TOTAL
I have no pick for the Vikings-Giants over/under.
Vikings vs. Giants Pick: Vikings -1.5
Vikings vs. Giants Odds
| Vikings Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -105 | 41 -110o / -110u | -125 |
| Giants Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -115 | 41 -110o / -110u | +105 |
- Vikings vs. Giants Point Spread: Vikings -1.5 | Giants +1.5
- Vikings vs. Giants Total: Over/Under 41
- Vikings vs. Giants Moneyline: Vikings -125 | Giants +105
- 58% of bets and 66% of the money are on the Vikings to cover the spread.
- 87% of bets and 57% of the money are on the over.
- 70% of bets and 84% of the money on the moneyline are on Minnesota.
How To Watch Minnesota vs. New York
| Location: | MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. |
| Date: | Sunday, Sept. 8 |
| Kickoff Time: | 1 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | FOX |
Vikings vs. Giants is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET live from East Rutherford on Sunday. The game is live on FOX and other streaming platforms, such as YouTube TV.
NFL Weather Week 1 for Sunday's Game
How To Make NFL Picks for Vikings vs. Giants
I'm higher on the Vikings in the market coming into the year, and there's a number of things that I just really like about this coaching staff that I think are going to come in handy here.
Number one is defensive coordinator Brian Flores. He's going to have some exotic blitzes and coverages cooked up for Week 1. He'll bring a lot of unique blitzes and a lot of pressure against Jones, who just completely falls apart when under any sort of pressure. The Giants offensive line is dealing with injuries and still isn't very good in general. Flores will take advantage of that.
I'm expecting Jones to be confused and forced into some sacks and mistakes. The Vikings secondary isn't great, but it has some veterans who will be sure to capitalize on mistakes when they're made.
I look at both these quarterbacks and it's a wash. I think that there's even maybe some more upside just with Darnold after a season of working with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. Now, he's getting to work with Kevin O'Connell, who had the Vikings competing for the playoffs with a mediocre stable of backup quarterbacks after Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles.
Donald's better than the Vikings' quarterbacks from last season. Jordan Addison is trending up in his second season, and of course, you have Justin Jefferson, who will draw all of the defense's attention and make any quarterback look good.
Helping the Vikings passing attack is that the Giants secondary is horrendous across the board. You, the person reading this, could go out there and throw it to these Vikings receivers potentially.
Best Bet for Vikings vs. Giants
Compare these two rosters. Which side do you feel more confident about, the Giants or the Vikings? Name the position that New York has an edge. It's not running back, it's not quarterback, it's nothing. Not offensive line, it's not wide receiver. You could make an argument that it's the defensive line, but that unit will be facing a really good pair of Vikings tackles. It's not the secondary.
I think the Vikings are just better across the board.
I'm laying points with Sam Darnold on the road. What could go wrong?
Pick: Vikings -1.5
