MINNESOTA VIKINGS VS. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — September 15, 2024

MINNESOTA VIKINGS VS. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — September 15, 2024 — Greetings, football fans. Welcome back to our NFL coverage here at Godzilla Wins. One of several games on Sunday’s slate features the Minnesota Vikings (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) hosting the San Francisco 49ers (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS).

Here is a look at which squad has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Kickoff

When: Sunday, September 15, 2024 @ 1:00 PM ET

Where: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

TV: CBS

Minnesota Vikings vs. San Francisco 49ers Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Minnesota Vikings vs. San Francisco 49ers – In-Season Stats & Betting Trends

The Vikings kicked off their 2024 campaign with a dominant 28-6 win over the New York Giants. Sam Darnold — who became the starter after rookie J.J.  McCarthy went down with a season-ending knee injury — had a solid performance. He completed 19 of 24 passes for 208 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. Justin Jefferson caught four passes for 59 yards and a touchdown. Despite running 17 fewer players and losing the time of possession battle by nearly five minutes, the Vikings’ defense held New York to just 240 yards of total offense.

On the other side of the spectrum, the Niners spoiled Aaron Rodgers’ return to the gridiron, knocking off the New York Jets 32-19. Brock Purdy was efficient, throwing for 231 yards with no scores or interceptions. However, Jordan Mason, who filled in for the injured Christian McCaffery, was the headliner in this game. The previously undrafted free agent tallied 147 rushing yards and one touchdown on 28 carries.

“I thought he runs like he always does,” coach Kyle Shanahan said via ESPN. “When you get him the ball, he breaks tackles, usually gets more than we block for. When we had the good lanes, he always hit them and got a bunch. But, JP was awesome today.”

Mason’s 28 carries were the most for any San Francisco player in a regular season game over the past 13 years. That said, the Niners know they have a solid backup option should McCaffrey need to miss additional games during the season.

Now that we have set the stage for this Week 2 showdown, let’s examine the betting trends for both teams.

The Spread

Following their wire-to-wire win over the Giants, the Vikings enter this contest as a five-point underdog (via OddsShark). Here is a glance at how both teams have recently fared against the spread.

• The Vikings are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 home games.
• Minnesota has failed to cover the spread four times in their previous five matchups against NFC opponents.
• Meanwhile, the Niners are 1-4 ATS in their last five outings.
• San Francisco is 5-1 against the spread in its last six road contests.

Prediction: San Francisco 49ers (-5)

Over/Under

This matchup’s projected over/under total is 46 points (via OddsShark). Here is why you should go with the “under.”

• The total has gone UNDER five times in the Vikings’ last six matchups against San Francisco.
• The UNDER total boasts a 6-2 mark in Minnesota’s last eight September games.
• The UNDER total has prevailed 15 times in the Vikings’ last 20 Week 2 outings.
• The Niners’ previous five games against teams in the NFC North have seen the total go UNDER four times.
• In San Francisco’s last seven September contests, the UNDER total prevailed five times.

Prediction: UNDER 46 points

Player Prop Bet

The key player to watch in this matchup is Justin Jefferson. He currently has -110 odds of exceeding the 78.5 receiving yards threshold and -110 odds of finishing with less than 78.5 yards (via Bet365). Here’s how his 2023 stats stack up against the projected yards total.

• During the 2023 campaign, Jefferson averaged 74.1 yards per game.
• In one career matchup against the Niners (2021), Jefferson caught four passes totaling 83 yards.
• Jefferson faced off against NFC teams six times last season. In those contests, he averaged 131.0 yards per outing.
• In five home games last season, he averaged 105.4 yards in those outings.
• Across his last five outings, Jefferson averaged 107.0 yards per game, exceeding the yards total for this matchup three times during that stretch.

Prediction: Justin Jefferson OVER 78.5 yards