The NFC Wild Card second game for the 2023 NFL postseason is Minnesota Vikings VS New York Giants which will happen on Sunday. This game is a meeting between two evenly matched-teams.
After their five-campaign absence and attaining the NFC’s second wild card, the New York has returned to the postseason. Minnesota on the other hand finished as champion of the NFC North and fought until the last weeks to attain the best record in the National Conference.
These teams played during the regular round, resulting in a 24-27 victory for Minnesota.
Here at MatchPlug, we bring you the best NFL Predictions this week for the Vikings vs Giants.
Predictions and Betting Preview for Minnesota Vikings VS New York Giants NFC Wild Card Game
- Venue: US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- When: Sunday, January 15, 2023
- Time: 13:30 GMT
- Teams to play: Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants
- NFL Picks: Moneyline 1.62
Odds are seen on BetMGM and 1XBet
Betting On The Minnesota Vikings
- Regular Season Record: 13-4 (NFC North Champion – 3rd seed NFC)
- BetMGM Spread: -3
- BetMGM Moneyline: 1.62
- BetMGM Over/Under: Under 48
- 1XBet Spread: -1.5
- 1XBet Moneyline: 1.64
- 1XBet Over/Under: Under 48.5
Minnesota Vikings started the campaign as the major favourites to sack the Greenbay Packers in the NFC North, and they really did do it. Securing 8 wins in the first 9 games, including the first week’s game versus Greenbay, the Vikings made their way to the top of the group.
For the postseason, expectations for this team are divided because while they have a strong aerial offense, their defense finished the regular season as one of the worst in the championship. They were defeated by the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs.
Minnesota finally allowed 427 points to its opponents, which is the 3rd highest total in the league, and 6,608 total yards were the 2nd highest total yards allowed by any of the NFL defenses.
The Vikings were performing poorly in both passes and rushes, finishing in the top 5 worst defenses against the pass, and in the top 10 worst teams in stopping opposing runs. They were also the second team with the most penalties (111), tied with the Giants.
On Minnesota’s offensive side, things changed rapidly. The Vikings reached the postseason because of the aerial display developed by Kirk Cousings, Justin Jefferson, and Adam Thielen. The team was 3rd in attempted passes (672), 4th in aerial touchdowns (30), and 6th in total yards through passes (4.484). They also ranked 8th in points scored and in red zone efficiency too.
Betting On The New York Giants
- Regular Season Record: 9-7-1 (2nd wild card – 6th NFC seed)
- BetMGM Spread: +3
- BetMGM Moneyline: 2.35
- BetMGM Over/Under: Over 48
- 1XBet Spread: +1.5
- 1XBet Moneyline: 2.275
- 1XBet Over/Under: Over 48.5
The New York Giants making it to the postseason is considered one of the pleasant surprises of the NFL regular round. This is so because New York finished last year with only four wins with Brian Daboll a head coach who had lots of talent but was experiencing his first time in this position.
In spite of this, the Giants didn’t falter in a complicated NFC East, that at some point had all four teams in the playoffs. Even with a lack of impressive numbers, these players found a way to win their games. 8 of their 9 wins were accomplished by 8 points or lower.
New York’s offensive side improved by one main factor which was Daniel Jones’ development. Jones had his best season yet since joining the NFL in 2019. He led the team to have the second-lowest amount of turnovers with just 16.
But, the heart and soul of this team’s offense is the ground game led by Saquon Barkley, who helped Giants finish 4th in total rushing yards (2,519) and touchdowns (21). They also finished 5th in average yards per carry (4.8).
A look at New York’s defense and their team records shows why most of their games were tightly contested. By conceding 371 points, the Giants ranked 17th in the league. Yet, they were positioned 5th as the best team defending on third downs and inside the red zone with 35.1% and 49.2% efficiencies, respectively.
To get some good results, the Giants’ secondary must have a good game, because they were one of the circuit’s worst teams in terms of stopping ground attacks. They also conceded the second-highest average of yards per carry in the NFL and the sixth-highest total rushing yards. In defending the pass, they ranked 14th in total yards per carry, and the 21 TDs conceded were the ninth-best total in the league.
MatchPlug Prediction
The Minnesota Vikings have a disastrous defense, but the good thing is that the New York Giants’ defense is not very powerful, and they can be inconsistent sometimes.
This fact is vital when you note that Minnesota scores lots of points. The team scored fewer than 23 points only 3 times this campaign, and in their first game against the Giants, they gained over 350 total yards.
Another advantage the Vikings have is that they are basically unbeatable at home. This year, they only lost one game out of the nine games they played, and it was to the Dallas Cowboys.
New York, scored a 3-4 record playing as visitors, including two losses in their past two away games.
Final Prediction: Vikings to win (NY 26 – MIN 29)
Related Articles:
NFL Week 18 Predictions: Buffalo Bills VS Miami Dolphins
NFL Week 18 Predictions: Jacksonville Jaguars Vs Los Angeles Chargers
Leave Your Comment Here