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San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings NFL Spread & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

49ers vikes 92309 The San Francisco 49ers and the Minnesota Vikings both put their unbeaten records on the line when they meet in the Metrodome this Sunday in a Week 3 NFC battle. Minnesota got off to another slow start in Week 2 but kicked things in high gear to beat the Lions 27-13 while the 49ers defeated their second straight division opponent with an impressive 23-10 win over the Seahawks. These teams last met in Week 14 of the 2007 season with the Vikings winning 27-7 behind a dominant performance by running back Chester Taylor. Minnesota has won three of the last four regular season meetings, but the 49ers still hold a slim 22-20-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Minnesota Vikings are listed as a 6.5-point favorite with the total set at 40.

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Brett Favre has been a thorn in the side of the 49ers throughout his career with an 11-2 mark in 13 starts against them. While Minnesota’s running game, led by Adrian Peterson, has carried the load thus far, Favre may have to summon some throws of the past to get by the 49ers this week. You can bet that 49ers head coach Mike Singletary is not about to let Minnesota’s running game beat him. That means that we may truly see what Favre is still made of this week. So far Minnesota has played two teams that it was flat out better than. Because of that, Favre and the offense has been able to execute a conservative passing game. But at some point, against good teams, Minnesota will have to stretch the field, likely this week. That’s when we’ll see where Favre’s arm strength is at. Once Favre is comfortable making deep throws, Vikings rookie Percy Harvin could emerge as a valuable deep threat. He already has a touchdown in each of the team’s first two games.

Defensively, Minnesota’s scheme is as simple as it gets. They stuff the run, force teams to pass, and then rush the heck out of the passer. Thus far, Minnesota has not allowed a rushing score and it ranks third in the NFL with seven sacks. However, this unit figures to face a stiffer task this week in stopping Niners running back Frank Gore, whose 5,421 yards from scrimmage since 2006 are second most in the NFC during that time frame. It is worth noting that the home team is 5-1 against the number in the last six meetings. If you like this trend to continue, bet the Vikings at -6.5 at Bookmaker.

San Francisco’s first challenge was to beat the defending NFC champion Arizona Cardinals. Mission accomplished. Its next challenge was to beat a Seattle Seahawks team that has dominated the NFC West in recent years. Mission accomplished. Now, Mike Singletary’s boys will look to knock off another reigning division champ in Minnesota this week. Singletary has his troops playing a physical brand of football and he has them playing with a chip on their shoulder. The key for the 49ers will be to get the football to Frank Gore in a variety of ways. Gore is an excellent receiver out of the backfield and screen plays and swing passes could be big gainers for the Niners this week against a Minnesota defense that likes to bring the heat. Defensively, the 49ers must stop Adrian Peterson to make Brett Favre beat them through the air. It is worth noting that the Vikings are only 3-10 against the spread in their last 13 games following a straight up win. If you like San Francisco to take the Vikings down to the wire, bet the 49ers at +6.5 at Bookmaker.

Craig Trapp has a great break down of the 49ers/Vikings spread over at his site as well. World Champion Handicapper Jimmy Boyd’s NFL expert picks will be ready to crush the books this Sunday. Sign up for a low-cost package and bring home the bacon with the best in the biz.

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