Henry Roldán
The second game of the NFC Wild Card for the 2023 NFL postseason will be played next Sunday when Giants vs Vikings, two fairly evenly matched teams, meet each other.
New York returned to the postseason after a five-campaign absence, and after attaining the second wild card in the NFC. Meanwhile, Minnesota finished as the NFC North champion, and also, it was fighting until the last weeks to have the best record in the National Conference.
It is worth remembering that these teams met during the regular round, which resulted in a 24-27 victory for the Vikings . At JefeBet we bring you the best preview of is impressive clash between the New York Giants vs Minnesota Vikings.
Predictions and Betting Preview for the New York Giants vs Minnesota Vikings NFC Wild Card Game on January 15, 2023
- Where: U.S. Bank Stadium – Minneapolis, Minnesota.
- When: Sunday, January 15, 2023 – 4:30 PM E.T.
Odds provided by BetMGM.
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Betting on the New York Giants
- Regular Season Record: 9-7-1 (2nd wild card – 6th NFC seed)
- BetMGM Spread: +3.0
- BetMGM Moneyline: +135
- BetMGM Over/Under: 48.5
Along with the Seahawks, the Giants’ presence in the postseason can be considered one of the pleasant surprises of this NFL regular round. Why do we say this? The New York team finished last year with only four wins with Brian Daboll being a head coach with a lot of talent, but someone who was going through his first experience in the position.
Despite this, the Giants did not disappoint in a rather complicated NFC East that, at one point, had all four teams in the playoffs. Without very impressive numbers, this group of players found a way to win their games. Eight of their nine wins were by eight points or fewer.
On the offensive side, one of the main factors of improvement was the development of Daniel Jones, the young QB who had his best season yet since coming to the NFL in 2019. He led the Giants to have the second lowest amount of turnovers with just 16. However, the offensive heart and soul of this team is the ground game, led by Saquon Barkley, who helped them finish fourth in total rushing yards (2,519) and touchdowns (21). The also finished fifth in average yards per carry (4.8).
Regarding New York’s defense, and looking at the team’s records, we can see why almost all of their games were tightly contested. The 371 points the Giants conceded ranks them 17th in the league. Still, they were placed 5th as the best team defending on third downs and inside the red zone, with efficiencies of 35.1% and 49.2%, respectively.
For good results, the Giants also need their secondary to have a good day, as they were one of the worst teams in the circuit when it came to stopping ground attacks. The team also conceded the second-highest average of yards per carry in the league, and the sixth-highest total rushing yards. Defending the pass they ranked 14th in total yards per carry, and the 21 TDs conceded were the ninth-best total in the NFL.
Betting on the Minnesota Vikings
- Regular Season Record: 13-4 (NFC North Champion – 3rd seed NFC).
- BetMGM Spread: +3.0
- BetMGM Moneyline: -160
- BetMGM Over/Under: 48.5
The Vikings began the campaign as the big favorites to dethrone the Packers in the NFC North, and boy, did they do it. With eight wins in its first nine games, including the first week’s game against Green Bay, Minnesota made its way to the top of the group.
For this postseason, the expectations for the team are quite divided because although they have a powerful aerial offense, their defense finished as one of the worst in the championship and was destroyed by two of the teams in the playoffs, the Eagles and the Cowboys.
Minnesota ended up allowing 427 points to its opponents, the third-highest total in the league, and the 6,608 total yards were the second-highest total yards allowed by any defense in the NFL. The Vikings were not performing very good, both through passes and rushes, as they finished among the top 5 worst defenses against the pass, and in the top 10 worst teams when trying to stop opposing runs. Also, they were the second team with the most penalties (111), tied with the Giants.
On the offensive side, things change radically. If the Vikings have managed to get here, it is because of the aerial display developed by Kirk Cousins along with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, as they were third in attempted passes (672), fourth in aerial TDs (30), and sixth in total yards through passes (4.484). Ultimately, the team ranked eighth in points scored and also in red zone efficiency.
JefeBet Prediction
The Vikings defense really is disastrous, but the good news for them is that the Giants don’t have such a powerful offense, and sometimes, inconsistency takes over.
That fact becomes crucial when you consider that Minnesota scores a lot of points. The team scored less than 23 points only three times this campaign, and in the first game against the Giants, they gained more than 350 total yards.
Another plus for the Vikings is that they are virtually unbeatable at home. This year the team has only lost one game, in nine games played, when they lost to the Cowboys. Meanwhile, New York attained a 3-4 record playing as visitors, which includes two losses in their last two away games.
Prediction: Vikings to win (NY 26 – MIN 29).
