NFL Divisional Round Playoff Betting: Vikings vs. 49ers Props Picks

by Chris Vasile - 1/8/2020

Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers; Levi's Stadium, 4:35 p.m. EST. Jan 11, 2020.

The first wild-card game of the weekend takes place at the Levi's Stadium between the Minnesota Vikings and the San Francisco 49ers . Vikings' fans around the world are now yelling "YOU LIKE THAT" in reference to Kirk Cousins. And as a bettor, indeed I do like that because now we get to fade you in what should be the perfect spot for the 49ers to get not only a big win but a big cover as well.

I don't believe there is any possible way that Cousins can go on the road for the second straight week and lead his team to victory. I wrote last week that the Vikings will need Cousins to play well against a bad Saints passing attack and he did, but this week he's going up against the No. 1 ranked passing defense, which doesn't bode well for him or the Vikings. However, we do know that the Vikings' bread and butter is their rushing attack as they ranked sixth overall, and they'll be up against the 17 th rank run-defense. Dalvin Cook, who had a solid 94-yard, two-touchdown performance last week, needs to be at his best and carry the team this week because the Vikings middling defense, which ranks 14th in yards per game, 15th in passing yards, 13th in rushing yards, fifth in points and 19th in third-down percentage, will have a tough time stopping the 49ers Top 5 offense.

The 49ers come into this game rested and ready for the most important game since 2013 when they lost to the Seahawks in the NFC Championship game. I feel like the 49ers have flown under the radar all season long and haven't gotten the respect they deserve, especially for a 13-3 team. The Niners own one of the best offenses in football, ranking fourth in total yards, 13 th in passing yards, second in rushing yards, second in points and fifth in third-down conversion percentage. Defensively, this team is as good as any, as they rank second in yards allowed, first in passing yards allowed, 17th in rushing yards allowed eighth in points allowed and second in third-down conversions allowed. Make no mistake about it, the Niners will have their hands full, but we see them coming away with the win in this game.

As of writing this, the 49ers are favored by seven points and the total is set at 45. The 49ers could be a great teaser option in order to get them down to under the key number of three using a six-point teaser. However, I've circled a few props that I believe give us the best chance to win some money on this game.

Team Total Points - Minnesota Vikings "Under" 19.5 Total points (-125)

Winning a road game in the NFL is a very tough task. Winning two straight road games in the playoffs is even tougher. That's what the Minnesota Vikings have to do in order to earn their spot in the NFC Championship Game. We don't see that happening. The Vikings, while playing a great game last week against the Saints, simply don't have enough to keep up with the 49ers in this one. Kirk Cousins will not play well for two straight road games, and the 49ers defense will be able to shut down Cook and Stefon Diggs. The 49ers defense has been one of the best defensive units all season long. And as they had an extra week of rest and prep time to prepare for the Vikings, we see them coming out and playing an extremely sound football game and limiting the Vikings to a maximum of 17 points. The great regular season would all be for nothing if the Niners don't at least win this game, and we believe they do so on the strength of their defense.

Player Interceptions - Kirk Cousins "Over" 0.5 (-110)

For this prop bet to cash, all we need is for Kirk Cousins to do Kirk Cousins-like things and throw an interception. We already told you that we don't believe the Vikings will score many points in this football game, and part of the reason will be the Niners defense, but the second part of the reason will be forced turnovers. When the Niners get up in this game, which they will, Cousins will have no option but to throw the football a ton and likely into coverage. The Niners have had 12 regular-season INT's this year, and we expect them to add to that total this week.

Any Time Touchdown Scorer- Raheem Mostert (-125)

Raheem Mostert is a great example of not giving up. He has bounced around teams all of his career before suffering injuries that kept him out of lineups for extended periods. He signed with the 49ers as a depth option, but he's emerged out of the backfield (thanks to injuries) and shown the 49ers that he should have been the starter all along. Mostert has found the end zone in six straight games, amassing seven touchdowns during that span. We expect him to take advantage of the Vikings 13th ranked run defense and find the end zone for the seventh straight game. It helps Mostert that the 49ers finally have good receivers who force teams to stay balanced and not stack the box. We believe the Niners win this game going away and it'll be with the help of Mostert on the ground.

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NFL Divisional Round Playoff Betting: Vikings vs. 49ers Props Picks

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