New York Giants (9-7-1) vs. Minnesota Vikings (13-4)
January 15, 2023 4:30 pm EDT
The Line: Minnesota Vikings -3.5 / New York Giants +3.5; Over/Under: 47.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants clash Sunday in a NFL NFC Wild Card Round game from US Bank Stadium. New York comes into this game after a 9-7-1 regular season. The Giants finished in sixth place in the NFC standings. As for Minnesota, they went 13-4 overall this year. The Vikings landed in third place with that record, behind the Eagles and 49ers. Check back all season long for free NFL picks at Sports Chat Place.
New York was 7-4 overall after 11 games this year, losing to only the Cowboys, Seahawks, Lions and Cowboys again. Over the last six games the Giants have gone 2-3-1 with losses to the Eagles, Vikings and Eagles again (and a tie with Washington).
In Sunday’s matchup versus the Eagles, the Giants fell behind 16-0 at halftime. New York posted a 16-6 edge in the second half but couldn’t come back in a 22-16 defeat. Davis Webb threw for 168 yards and a TD, while Gary Brightwell managed 60 rush yards on 11 carries.
Over on the Vikings’ side, they stood at 9-2 overall after 11 games this year. Minnesota fell to the Eagles and Cowboys in that time. Over the last six it was a 4-2 run for the Vikings with wins over the Jets, Colts, Giants and Bears.
Matched up against the Bears in the final week of the regular season, Minnesota outscored Chicago 16-6 in the first half. The Vikings posted another 13 points from there in a 29-13 win. Kirk Cousins posted 225 pass yards with a TD, and Alexander Mattison rushed 10 times for 54 yards and two touchdowns.
New York is 4-0 ATS in their last four overall and 4-0 ATS in their last four road games. The Giants are 5-1 ATS versus a team with a winning record.
Meanwhile, the Vikings are 1-4 ATS in their last five overall and 2-8-1 ATS in their last 11 versus the NFC. Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in their last five after a straight-up win.
PICK: I’ll probably still take Minnesota. This is a tough one, though; the Vikings have been playing by the skin of their proverbial teeth all season and it’s likely to be a fairly close game. The last time these teams met up was just a short while ago on December 24. Minnesota escaped with a nail-biter 27-24 victory at home despite collecting two turnovers and holding New York to just 3-of-11 on third-down conversions. This one’s going to be another dogfight but I think the Vikings can get there.
As for New York, their backup crew did a solid job against Philadelphia on Sunday. That will go a long way toward getting a fresh team on the field for this matchup and bodes well for the Giants. You could easily make an excellent case for a New York cover/win here. Should be a great game to check out.
