It’s been a bad day for the New York Giants (6-8) and the Minnesota Vikings (9-5) can only make it worse. Already without Odell Beckham Jr. thanks to his suspension, they’re also out of hopes for the playoffs after the Washington Redskins clinched the NFC East Saturday night. The Giants are only playing for pride and considering their fourth-quarter collapses this season, there’s not much pride there.
The Vikings on the other hand, thanks to the Arizona Cardinals destroying the Green Bay Packers, can not only clinch the final playoff spot in the NFC with a win tonight, they’re still alive for the NFC North title.
Scroll on down for the live blog. Keep reading for preview information.
First up here’s my pick from The FAQ.
Sunday Night
New York Giants at Minnesota (-5.5)
Of all the teams playing this week, the Vikings probably have the most to lose. Win and they clinch a wild card spot. Lose and they open up everything, especially if the Falcons pull off the upset of the decade. I like their chances to close it out, especially with Odell Beckham Jr. suspended. Vikings 24, Giants 20
And here’s our own GMS Preview.
Though Minnesota had their fair share of success this season, the team has struggled lately, losing two of its last five. The game will begin Sunday, Dec 27 at 8:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on NBC.
Minnesota blew out the Bears 38-17 last week. Teddy Bridgewater had a big game throwing the ball in the win, completing 17 of 20 passes for 231 yards and four TDs. Stefon Diggs added 55 yards and two TDs on three receptions. New York didn’t have the same success as Minnesota, losing a close one to the Panthers 38-35. Eli Manning had an outstanding performance passing the ball for the Giants, completing 29 of 46 passes for 245 yards, four TDs and one interception. Rashad Jennings also had a big day, contributing 107 yards and a TD on 16 attempts.
Minnesota is a four-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 44 points.
The Vikings enter the game with records of 9-5 Straight Up (SU) and 11-3 Against The Spread (ATS) this season. In the past five games, Minnesota is 2-3 SU and 3-2 ATS. The Vikings have the league’s fifth-ranked rushing offense with 131.6 yards per game. As for the Minnesota defense, there are important areas to keep an eye on. New York averages 3.4 yards per carry on the road, ranking 29th in the league. Keep an eye on Minnesota to amplify focus during the third quarter of home games, where it averages 7.4 points. On special teams, Minnesota has some playmakers. They average 105.1 return yards per game, second in the NFL.
Moving to the road team, the Giants have 6-8 SU and 8-5-1 ATS records this season. The Giants went 1-4 SU and 3-2 ATS over the last five games. The Vikings may be catching the Giants at the wrong time. They have found their groove throwing the ball, averaging 300.8 passing yards during the past five games. A home-field advantage does not give Minnesota the benefit of the doubt on infractions. The Vikings average 71.9 penalty yards in home games, making them one of the worst in the league.
Predictions: SU Winner – Min, ATS Winner – Min, O/U – Under
The game is on NBC at 8:20 EST so watch it with me.
