The San Francisco 49ers will square off with the Minnesota Vikings for some preseason action at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis! Join us for our NFL preseason odds series, where our 49ers-Vikings prediction and pick will be made for all to see.
Is this still Jimmy G’s team? Or is it time to kick off the Trey Lance era out in the Bay Area? This was the main question that many media members and analysts asked relentlessly throughout the Niner offseason. After months of speculation, coach Kyle Shanahan and company decided to place their trust in the hands of the 22-year-old out of North Dakota State in Lance. With the face of the franchise finally being given the keys to the new convertible, can he continue to show off his dazzling skillset against the Vikings on Saturday?
Fresh off a stinging six-point loss to the Raiders last weekend, the Vikings will look for a quick rebound in their second preseason game against the Niners. After narrowly missing the playoffs a year ago, Minnesota felt that a change needed to be made to their coaching staff as they were one of nine NFL teams that will be entering the 2022 season with a brand new head coach. The Kevin O’Connell era has finally arrived, can the Vikings get him his first ever win as head ball coach on Saturday?
Here are the 49ers-Vikings MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Preseason Odds: 49ers-Vikings Odds
San Francisco 49ers: +4.5 (-110)
Minnesota Vikings: -4.5 (-110)
Over: 39.5 (-110)
Under: 39.5 (-110)
Why The 49ers Could Cover The Spread
With Lance’s absurd physical tools set on full display, the Niners will either sink or swim in their young gunslinging playmaker. In San Fran’s opening preseason game, it seemed that San Francisco may be doing a whole lot of laps in the pool as Lance certainly looked the part in his 2022 preseason debut. Even if Lance is expected to be handed a clipboard and headset in a non-starting role on Saturday, it is officially Trey Lance time in San Francisco. Amazingly, it only took Lance four completions against the Packers to reach 92 yards passing and a touchdown as he finished the day with a sparkling 158.3 QBR. Without a doubt, all it takes is one look at Lance’s arm and the realization is made that his ceiling is arguably being one of the top field generals that pro football has to offer.
Even though the expectation is that Lance will be sidelined for this one, the Niners could have an advantage in covering the spread simply because of the upside in backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld. Trying to establish himself as one of the league’s top backups this preseason, Sudfeld also looked extremely comfortable in Kyle Shanahan’s west-coast scheme last weekend, as the 28-year-old out of Indiana completed 8-11 passes for 103 yards and a passing touchdown while downing the Packers at home. Few systems can manufacture offense like Shanahan’s, so the Niners should have a clear advantage when it comes to quarterback play versus the Vikings.
Why The Vikings Could Cover The Spread
Yes, the Vikings may have fallen short in their opening matchup with the Raiders, but by no means does that signal that another loss is on the horizon. In fact, first-year headman Kevin O’Connell should come out with a proper game plan to get the ball in the hands of his best playmakers in space to make life difficult for San Fran’s defensive coaches and players. In the narrow loss versus Las Vegas, the Vikings generated 300 yards of total offense but failed to dominate the TOP as they were edged out by the Raiders in that department 34 minutes to 26 minutes.
The key for the Vikings on offense will be to find a way to run the ball effectively. With a wide-zone-heavy approach, there should be some running lanes to run through if the Vikings commit to pounding the rock down San Francisco’s throat. There seems to be a lack of gab discipline among teams in the preseason, so don’t be shocked if Vikings run the ball to perfection on their way to cover the spread. It is also becoming blatantly obvious that quarterback Kellen Mond is struggling to grasp the offense on a play-to-play basis, so setting him up with easy play-action passes results in fewer reads to make. By establishing some sort of running threat, this will alleviate the pressure felt on the entire Vikings quarterback room. This will be a must, as Minnesota lacks the necessary quarterback play in comparison to the 49ers on paper.
Final 49ers-Vikings Prediction & Pick
While it is a known fact by now, the quarterback position is hands down the most important position in not only football but in all sports. The Vikings may be able to hang around with a strong running game in this one, but the Niners quarterbacks in Sudfeld and even third-stringer Brock Purdy will limit mistakes while pushing the ball down the field for some big plays in the passing game. The same shouldn’t be expected under center for Minnesota.
Final 49ers-Vikings Prediction & Pick: 49ers +4.5 (-110)
