The Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers will lock horns in the Twin Cities when the two kick off their 2018 NFL campaigns on Sunday, September 9th, 2018 at 1:00 PM ET. The affair will be aired on FOX. The Niners and the Vikes last met in 2015 where San Francisco thumped Minnesota 20-3 out in San Fran. The 49ers closed as a 2.5-point pup to generate a Money Line win. Previous to this, Minnesota had won three consecutive meetings against San Francisco going 2-1 ATS over this span.
San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings Game Overview
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers come in off a 6-10 campaign in 2017, but the record is quite misleading. The 49ers at one point stood at 0-9 on the year until the Jimmy Garoppolo era was underway thanks to a mid-season trade with the New England Patriots. Once Jimmy G took the helm, San Francisco managed to finish 6-1 SU down the backstretch in its final seven games. A lot of promise and enthusiasm is now permeating across the City by the Bay, as the Niners will look to carry that momentum with them into this season. The acquisition of stud running back Jerrick McKinnon will only further enable this emerging offense.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings are one of the most highly touted teams by many moving into the 2018 season. Between the combination of stellar defensive play and the acquisition of seasoned signal caller QB Kurt Cousins, the Vikings have become a popular selection to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LIII. Last year, Minnesota finished 13-3 in the regular season and made it all the way to the NFC Championship before they would lose to the eventual Super Bowl Champion, Philadelphia.
Reasons To Back San Francisco
The Niners have every reason to make fans and takers believe that this is a post-season contender. The 49ers looked like a completely different team when you compare the second half of 2017 team to the first half edition. We highlighted the rising star of their quarterback and the signing of a proficient rusher, but they have other toys too, including of course picking up perhaps the NFL’s best cornerback in former LOB disciple Richard Sherman. We will only see further improvement in SF on both sides of the ball as the season continues on and they will likely be catching many outfits by surprise. It’s time to cash in before the market catches up.
Reasons To Avoid Minnesota
We can cite the fact that the Niners are accompanied by an underdog-friendly number but there are several more reasons why the Vikings are risky here. The Vikings have been one of the most talked-up teams by analysts across the board heading into the 2018 season. At one point last year, the talk of the town was Jimmy G. Now, that is yesterday’s news as the discussion is Kirk Cousins coming to Minneapolis. The fact remains that all the media and fanfare create a rosy-eyed perception of this football team, in turn, that is more bound to create an overreaction by the general public. As a result, we get a situation like the one we see here where two teams similar in quality are offered at considerably contrasting prices. However, Minnesota could very well be a false favorite in this contest.
Get more details: San Francisco at Minnesota NFL Match-Up
