The NFL Preseason is in full swing and there’s plenty of action to catch as the rest of the first week’s slate continues on Saturday. In the early window, the Minnesota Vikings are set to take on the New York Giants in what’ll be the latter’s first outing of the John Harbaugh era.
Here’s a prediction and pick for Vikings vs. Giants in the NFL Preseason on Saturday, courtesy of odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Vikings vs. Giants preview
The preseason really doesn’t mean all that much in the grand scheme of things, so it shouldn’t be used as a measuring stick for a team’s future performance. However, for the clubs themselves, there are reasons that these games do matter.
For the Vikings, there’s surely some excitement in the building as the Kyler Murray era is expected to begin after the free-agent addition was announced as the starter in recent days. Murray’s career certainly took a downturn over the last couple of years, but there’s hope that he’s exactly the kind of talent that Kevin O’Connell can turn around like he did for Sam Darnold two seasons ago. Now, the starters are unlikely to play more than a series or two, but fans should get their first look at the former Arizona Cardinal in purple as he throws a few passes to open the game.
Notably, O’Connell did say that he also plans to play JJ McCarthy in this game as well. He’ll certainly get more work than Murray, and there’s likely a chip on his shoulder given the circumstances. But even still, Carson Wentz and/or Max Brosmer could also see some run. The guys they’re throwing to are less clear, but Josh Oliver and Tai Felton should see some work while Zavier Scott likely heads the backfield. That’s not an enticing group of weapons, but the hope is that the starters can do their damage early to build a little lead.
Looking at the Giants, this is game one of the John Harbaugh era after the Baltimore Ravens and the longtime head coach parted ways this past offseason. Changing the culture in the Big Apple is the focus now, and from the sound of it, that’s already a work firmly in progress. Having a leader of his caliber is a big step for this franchise, which is in the wings of a rebuild and hoping to take a leap here ahead of schedule. If nothing else, seeing the first look at how he wants to run things in-game with his new team should be intriguing.
However, it sounds like Harbaugh doesn’t plan to play the starters much, if at all. He did say that Jaxson Dart may see action after alluding to a young quarterback learning a new offense during press recently, but he didn’t specify much else beyond that the team needs to spread reps evenly for guys who need to play. If nothing more, evaluation of depth does sound important based on his media availability. That means Jameis Winston or Brandon Allen at quarterback while Devin Singletary or Eric Gray get backfield reps. Wideout provides a litany of names between Jalin Hyatt, Darnell Mooney, Isaiah Hodgins and Odell Beckham Jr. – the latter of whom makes his first appearance for the team that drafted him in the better part of a decade. There’s offensive talent here, it’s just a matter of getting the ball into their hands.
Vikings vs. Giants prediction, pick
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Vikings as a -2.5 favorite in this matchup with -135 odds to win on the Moneyline. The Giants are a +114 home underdog with the game total set at 42.5 combined points.
To be clear, betting on NFL Preseason can prove very tricky. Established names don’t see much action, especially in the earlier weeks, and there’s much more variance in these games due to the roster shuffling and how deep of a player pool coaches draw from.
Minnesota runs a tight ship in terms of defense thanks to coordinator Brian Flores, and Kevin O’Connell calls a fantastic offense when he has the arm talent to deliver on his scheme. However, there’s a notable lack of depth playmakers on offense, though the quarterback advantage does definitely go to the Vikings. They could easily pull ahead early in this one if the starters have their way. New York may get unpredictable quarterback play, but it’s easier to trust the offensive weapons beyond the starters if they get the chance to produce. However, the G-Men are also adjusting to new schemes and this is just game one of the new era.
Sloppy play may be a common theme, but I do think the under on 42.5 points has legs in this one. The line is just a smidge high and there’s rust on both sides, as well as the learning curve for the Giants, too. If Flores can get the most of his depth defenders, I’ll feel even better about this pick.
