Vikings Week Two Matchup Preview
In the Minnesota Vikings’ home opener this weekend they will host the San Francisco 49ers. With both teams coming off of victories in Week One, optimism is very high on both sides coming into this matchup. The Niners enter Minnesota as five-and-a-half point favorites, this line currently has the Vikings as the fourth biggest underdogs in the league for Week Two. However, in Week Seven of last season, Minnesota would also walk into a matchup as heavy underdogs against a San Francisco 49ers team in a game that saw the Vikings pull off a 22-17 upset victory without their star receiver Justin Jefferson. The Vikes will be looking to repeat their performance from that night while the Niners will be looking for a bit of revenge.
The Niners are favorites coming into this matchup for good reason. They have one of the most high-powered offenses in the league paired with a defensive unit that ranked top eight in both yards allowed per game and points allowed per game last season. It has been 326 days since the 49ers lost in Minnesota last season and they’ve only lost four total games since then, one of those being a loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl XVIII. The Vikings had a much different story after their Week Seven victory, Kirk Cousins would tear his Achilles in their next game and Minnesota would finish the season 3-6 and would miss the playoffs. The Vikings have a new starter at the quarterback position this season and he is very familiar with this 49ers team as he was their backup last season. Sam Darnold’s familiarity with the Niners and their defensive scheme could be the one thing that actually gives the Vikings a shot to win this matchup.
There are significant injury concerns for both sides heading into Sunday. It is looking more and more likely that San Francisco will once again be without All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey for a second consecutive week. Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison missed practice again on Thursday with an ankle injury, so he may also very likely be inactive for Sunday’s matchup. Minnesota is already missing tight end T.J. Hockenson, and as a result, they were going to need to rely heavily on their top two wide receivers. If Addison misses this game, a victory suddenly becomes even more of a long shot for Minnesota. I expect the 49ers to cover the spread and get their second win of the season beating the Vikings 31-20. I think the Niners’ offense will be too much for the Vikings’ defense with or without Christian McCaffrey in the lineup.
