San Francisco at Minnesota 2018 NFL Week 1 Odds & Pick

Jimmy Garoppolo takes his 7-0 record as a starting quarterback up against the defense that ranked #1 in the National Football League last year when he leads the 49ers to Minnesota to take on the Vikings in Sunday’s season opener. Minnesota is coming off a shocking rout at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles in last year’s NFC Championship, while the 49ers roll in with the momentum of a five-game winning streak to end the regular season last year, as it seems they have finally found a franchise quarterback. Check out our sports betting preview for this NFC showdown for San Francisco at Minnesota from Week 1.

San Francisco at Minnesota 2018 NFL Week 1 Odds & Pick

Dress rehearsal before the dress rehearsal – putting the final touches in before #SFvsIND. pic.twitter.com/CntjINmPL9

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) August 23, 2018

When: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 1:00pm ET Where: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis TV: FOX Radio: KNBR 680 AM San Francisco / KFXN 100.3 FM Minneapolis-St. Paul Live Stream: NFL Live NFL Odds: Minnesota -4.5, O/U 47.5

Why should you bet on the 49ers?

Kyle Shanahan worked wonders as the offensive coordinator in Atlanta, guiding them to a Super Bowl, and in San Francisco he has a terrific offense with Garoppolo at quarterback and Jerick McKinnon at tailback. The problem, though, is that McKinnon is on the shelf for the preseason with a calf strain. His fragility has been one reason that he has never been a team’s featured back during his NFL career, despite his speed and talent. What about the defense? San Francisco has a young, energetic group pursuing the ball, but they don’t have any big-name stars at any of their three levels, and Shanahan is an offensively minded coach. They will need to make some plays on defense to get the Vikings’ offense off the field, and that’s a tall order for a young team on the road. If you like San Francisco, you think Minnesota will come out with a little less energy, still with the hangover of last season’s disappointment, and the 49ers will take advantage in the early going.

Why should you put your money on Minnesota?

Minnesota returns as possibly the most loaded team in the NFC. They have Kirk Cousins at quarterback, a significant upgrade over Case Keenum. They have Dalvin Cook returning at tailback after suffering an early season-ending injury a year ago. Their defense shut everyone down last year — except the Saints and Eagles in the playoffs, but those were two high-powered offensive attacks. It is true that the NFC North represents a tougher challenge this year, with the return of Aaron Rodgers to the Green Bay Packers. But in this opening week, the Vikings should find plenty of room to operate against the San Francisco defense. Stefon Diggs remains one of the elite receivers in the NFL, and he will find openings in the secondary. The defense is solid on all three levels, with a physically bruising defensive line, speedy linebackers and a secondary that has closing speed, size and strength. It is true that things turned south in the NFC Championship, as Minnesota opened up a 7-0 lead only to see the Eagles roll, 38-7, but they have had the offseason to think about that, and there are few game planners in the NFC as solid as Mike Zimmer.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction for San Francisco at Minnesota

Minnesota will come out focused and ready to start back down the path that they likely thought was theirs last season — the path to the Super Bowl. San Francisco brings a lot of talent and promise to the NFC West this year and will push hard for a playoff spot. They will push the Seahawks and Cardinals hard and may even take one game from the Rams over the course of the season, making some noise in their division. However, the Vikings will have the advantages of focus and hunger on their side — not to mention a raucous home crowd — and so I predict that Minnesota will win, 30-17.