Work Left to Be Done
A month or a month and a half ago, a matchup between the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings would have had a much different vibe than Saturday’s matchup does.
Minnesota suffered a humbling 37-point loss at home to the Dallas Cowboys back in November. The Vikings appeared headed to a similar fate a week ago as they faced a 33-point halftime deficit before rallying for an improbable overtime victory.
Since a 6-1 start, the Giants are 2-4-1. While Minnesota has already clinched the NFC North Division title and the Giants are also in playoff position, neither team heads into this matchup bursting with confidence.
Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, offensive linemen Shane Lemieux, Evan Neal and linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux are questionable for the Giants.
For the Vikings, defensive lineman Ross Blacklock, offensive lineman Garrett Bradbury and linebacker Eric Kendricks are questionable.
First #Vikings injury report of Week 16 pic.twitter.com/NCAMlYbi9o
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 20, 2022
Per the NFL playoff odds, the Vikings (+2800) have the ninth-best odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Giants come in 15th at +10000.
Let’s check the latest NFL odds, stats, injury reports, and NFL lines for Giants vs Vikings. We’ve plenty of Vegas NFL odds and NFL week 16 picks for you to consider.
Giants vs Vikings Betting Lines
Secondary Issues
Going into a matchup against a team featuring game-breaking receiver Justin Jefferson with injury concerns in the secondary is not ideal.
The Giants allowed rookie Jahan Dotson to go off 105 yards on four catches, so what will Jefferson do when these teams meet?
Rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux is coming off a monster game against division rival Washington, but he is questionable, so there is a chance that the Giants could be without one of their best pass rushers.
The offense has been held under 25 points in nine straight games as teams have been crowding the line of scrimmage to bottle up star running back Saquon Barkley and dare quarterback Daniel Jones to make throws down the field, so any issues on defense could be costly.
The Giants have covered against the NFL betting lines in eight of their last 11 games.
Turnovers on the Menu
This is not the time of the year to develop bad habits. However, Minnesota has had five turnovers in the last two games. That resulted in a loss to division rival Detroit and a narrow escape against Indianapolis.
The Vikings seemed secure in landing the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs. However, the Vikings lead San Francisco by a game for that second seed. The good news is that the combined record of the final two opponents is 9-19, so perhaps Minnesota can hold off San Francisco. That would mean that a potential playoff matchup between the teams would be played in Minneapolis rather than having to head to San Francisco.
The Vikings’ defense has looked pretty ordinary in recent weeks as Minnesota does not look anything like a contender to win the NFC title despite its 11-3 record. Still, the team does deserve some credit for coming back to win from 33 points down.
The Las Vegas odds total has gone over in five of Minnesota’s last six games.
Giants vs Vikings Game Injuries
Giants vs Vikings Head-to-Head
Minnesota has won the last three games against the Giants with an average margin of victory of 21.3 points. That includes a pair of wins at home.
The last win for the Giants came in 2013 with a 23-7 victory as a four-point favorite at home.
In the most recent matchup back in October, Kirk Cousins threw for 306 yards and the Vikings sacked Giants quarterback Daniel Jones four times in a 28-10 win by Minnesota.
Giants vs Vikings Game Information
- Game: Giants vs Vikings
- Date/Time: Saturday, Dec. 24, 1 p.m. ET
- Location: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
- How to watch Giants vs Vikings?: NFL Prime Video
Giants vs Vikings Live stream: NFL Game Pass
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Giants vs Vikings Game Weather Conditions
U.S. Bank Stadium is an enclosed facility, so the anticipated game-time temperature lingering around 0 won’t have an impact on the game.
Giants vs Vikings Picks & Prediction
Predicted Score: Vikings 30, Giants 24
- Worth Betting on the Moneyline?
This might be a dangerous time to believe in either team as some flaws have been exposed in recent weeks. The Vikings are 7-1 at home, so some who bet online will go with them at -175.
The Giants didn’t exactly look like a Super Bowl contender in beating Washington, so it is a case of which team is ready to shake off the doldrums. The Giants aren’t the most profitable underdog with a +150 price.
- Worth Betting ATS?
Minnesota is just 4-4 against the spread at home, while the Giants have covered in five of six road games. The spread moved from 3 to 3½ in favor of the Vikings and it might be worth taking a shot at the Giants staying within a field goal. The line opened with the Vikings favored by five points but moved when people jumped on that number.
With how the teams have been playing, it is hard to be confident about either one of them going into this game.
- Worth Betting on the Totals?
Only two of this weekend’s NFL games have higher totals than the 48-point mark for this game. Much of that has to do with Minnesota’s ability to score because the Giants are far from an offensive juggernaut.
Both offenses have had some turnover issues that could result in the game going over the 50-point mark. There has been a bunch of money coming in on the over, which moved the total from 46 to 48.
The Minnesota Vikings are listed at -175 in our Vegas NFL lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Vikings, you have a chance to win $57. The New York Giants are +150, offering a chance to win $150 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Minnesota Vikings a 63.64% chance to win, with New York Giants at 40.00%.
The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.