The wild card round of the NFL playoffs produced four games that all finished within one possession as the margin of victory. Both six-seeds went in the road and won, as Tennessee shocked New England in Foxboro — and Minnesota went down to New Orleans and gave the Saints their third consecutive playoff ouster on the last play of the game, winning in overtime, 26-20. Kirk Cousins delivered, finally, in a huge game, throwing a 43-yard bomb to Adam Thielen in overtime, putting the Vikings on the two-yard line. Three plays later, Cousins threw a fade route to tight end Kyle Rudolph for the game-winning touchdown. Can the Vikings pull off another shocking road upset as they visit the 49ers? Check out our sports betting preview of this NFC divisional round matchup.
Vikings vs 49ers 2020 NFC Divisional Round Odds & Game Info
- When: Saturday, January 11, 2020, 3:35 pm ET
- Where: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
- TV: NBC
- Radio: Westwood One
- Live Stream: NFL Game Pass
- NFL Odds: San Francisco -7 / O/U 45
Why should you bet on Minnesota?
Minnesota has played tough on the road all season long, but their first win over a team over .500 on the road came against New Orleans. They got a great rushing performance from Dalvin Cook against the Saints, which provided more time for Kirk Cousins when he dropped back in the pocket. Now that they head to San Francisco, they take on a defense that is somewhat better, at least statistically, on each level than the one they escaped in New Orleans, although the 49ers’ offense was not producing at the same level that New Orleans’ was before the Vikings shut their attack down.
Cousins put up terrific numbers in the regular season, throwing for 3,603 yards and posting a 26:6 TD:INT ratio. The yardage was not as high as some others in the league, but ball security was a priority. Stefon Diggs was his top target, catching six touchdown passes and racking up 1,130 receiving yards. Cook led the team with 1,135 rushing yards, scoring 13 times. The defense was solid at all three levels, but can they shut down the 49ers like they did the Saints?
Why should you put your money on San Francisco?
San Francisco has a tougher pass rush than New Orleans, led by Nick Bosa, and defensive end Dee Ford is expected to return from injury, giving the Vikings less manpower to send Bosa’s way. Tight end George Kittle is the big play magnet in the 49ers’ passing game, but quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has a number of options, including Emmanuel Sanders, who came over from Denver before the trade deadline. Garoppolo posted a 27:13 TD:INT ratio, throwing for 3,978 yards on the year, and if he has time in the pocket, he will find targets down the field.
The running game is really the bread and butter of the 49ers’ offense, though. San Francisco led the league in rushing touchdowns with 23, and they were second in the league in rushing yards per game, at 144.1. Their top rusher was Raheem Mostert, who picked up 772 yards on the ground and scored eight times. The fact that San Francisco was able to run so well by committee will present a challenge to the Vikings’ defense, as they will not be able to pin their ears back in the pass rush, even with long yards-to-go situations.
Final Score Prediction
Minnesota has covered in four of their last five games — but San Francisco has covered in four of their last five games against a team with a winning record. This seven-point spread is a curiosity to me, given how well Minnesota played last week. I see this game turning into a defensive grind — with the 49ers winning at the end, 24-20, which means that the Vikings will cover.
