Wild Card Weekend: Giants-Vikings Spread, Moneyline, Total Game Picks

Zachary Cook

In what should be one of the tighter games of Wild Card Weekend, the Minnesota Vikings will host the New York Giants.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

New York Giants (+132) vs. Minnesota Vikings (-158) Total: 48.5 (O -104, U -118)

There weren’t expectations for the New York Giants to make a playoff run in their first season under Brian Daboll as head coach. Daboll has passed the test with flying colors, being precisely what the Giants needed to function as a quality franchise.

Meanwhile, the Vikings were one of the hotter NFL teams in the first half of the season but tailed off toward the end, finishing with a solid 13-4 record as NFC North champs.

Minnesota’s defense finished near the bottom of the league in points allowed per game, while the Giants were middle of the pack. The Vikings might have the better offense and higher-skilled weapons, but if New York can get the ground game going, they could go shot-for-shot.

Daniel Jones has been better than expected and surpassed the 300-yard plateau in their first meeting. He’ll need to spread the ball around again and utilize his legs.

The Giants are a live dog and should be considered as such. If you want to trust the Vikings at home, that’s understandable, but it’s also an excellent setting for the Giants to find offensive success. Siding with the Giants has too much value to pass up on the moneyline at +132 and should be considered by bettors.

Best Bet: Giants moneyline (+132)

When these teams met on Christmas Eve, the Vikings won 27-24, as the teams combined for 51 points. The total for this rematch is 48.5, with the over sitting at -104 while the under is -118. The dome doesn’t hurt either offense and should allow both teams to move the football. The Giants tallied 445 total yards in the first meeting, while the Vikings were less effective with 353. The G-Men likely deserved a better fate the first time, but with the Vikings’ defense having plenty of holes, look for a similar offensive outburst for New York. The Vikings have seen the over hit in 11 of their 17 games, and there’s no reason that should change in this matchup at home.

Best Bet: Over 48.5 (-104)

Game Pick: Giants 28, Vikings 27