Vikings vs 49ers Odds, Picks, and Predictions for Week 12 Matchup

• The San Francisco 49ers are 3-point home favorites against the Minnesota Vikings
• Kickoff is scheduled for 4:25 pm EST on Sunday, November 28
• Continue reading for odds lines, predictions and my best pick for how to bet this game
  

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The Minnesota Vikings will be traveling to San Francisco this week to take on the 49ers. Both teams are 5-5 and on two-game winning streaks. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:25 pm, with the temperature at kickoff currently predicted to be 69.7 degrees with winds of 4.7 mph.

Vikings vs 49ers Odds

Odds as of November 26 at Draftkings.

Vikings Riding a Wave of Momentum

Following a three-point loss to the Baltimore Ravens to start the month of November, the Vikings have played phenomenal football the past two weeks.  First, they defeated a quality team in the Los Angeles Chargers by a final score of 27-20. They followed that up last week with a thrilling three-point victory against the Green Bay Packers, one of the top teams in the league. Kirk Cousins has had a quietly spectacular season to this point, having only thrown two interceptions all year.

Kirk Cousins has been playing better than Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, and Josh Allen this season 👀#SKOL #Vikings https://t.co/5SSs0MTwLR

— The Viking Age (@TheVikingAge) November 26, 2021

How the Vikings can Win

For Minnesota to win this game, Kirk Cousins will need to protect the football, which he has done an excellent job of so far this year. Cousins has two excellent weapons in Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson. Thielen is one of the best receivers in football this year, and Jefferson is following up his excellent rookie season with another impressive year. Cousins will need to get both of them the ball. He should be able to do this while protecting the football, against a 49ers defense that only has four interceptions all season.

On the ground, Minnesota has another elite player in all-world running back Dalvin Cook. Look for the Florida State product to have a field day against San Francisco’s defense, which has allowed slightly over 100 yards per game rushing, and has also given up 13 rushing touchdowns this season. If Cook gets shut down, it’s likely because San Francisco overcommitted to stopping the run, leaving a questionable secondary to get picked apart by Cousins and company.

Packers at Vikings Week – 2018. Kirk Cousins is laser accurate in a prime time game (he has come through on prime time). Big performances from Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, and Dalvin Cook in the win. pic.twitter.com/o0l1jDfLrz

— VikeFans (@VikeFans) November 21, 2021

The biggest threat to Minnesota’s chances of winning this game, in my view, comes down to it being a classic trap game. Coming off a huge victory against Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers, it will be easy for the Vikings to come into this game overconfident and underprepared, a bad combination that will likely end in defeat. However, if head coach Mike Zimmer is able to keep his team down to earth this week, the Vikings should be able to walk away with a win.

How San Francisco can Win

In order for San Francisco to win, Jimmy Garoppolo will need to protect the football and George Kittle will need to have a big afternoon. The 49ers defense will also need to force Cousins into making a mistake and turning the ball over. When Cousins throws an interception, the results generally are not good for Minnesota: Cousins has only thrown picks in two games this season. The first was a loss to the Browns, and the other game was a two-point victory against the Detroit Lions, who at 0-10-1, are the only remaining winless team in the league.

Kirk Cousins has thrown 21 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions so far this season

By far the best season of his career and if Minnesota can finish with double digit wins +, he’s a dark horse MVP candidate

— Fair Shake Football (@FairshakeFB) November 25, 2021

What the Spread Tells Us

Currently, the 49ers are three-point favorites on DraftKings. The game is also being played in San Francisco. Typically, home-field advantage is worth between two to three points on the spread, depending on which source you look at. This tells me that the game would most likely be a pick’em on a neutral field, or at least close to it.  However, if you are considering backing the Vikings because of this, which I strongly recommend, the news gets even better from here. The Niners are also an abysmal 1-4 at home this season, while the Vikings are an “okay” 2-3 on the road.

Vikings-49ers Prediction

Take the Vikings to follow up their victory last week with another upset win on Sunday. If you are the more conservative type, take Minnesota +3 for even money.

Best Bet: Vikings moneyline (+150)