The experts have weighed in and here is who they believe will win the Week 1 matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers on Sunday!
Whenever the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers get together, there is always either some huge surprise or a competitive game to keep fans and viewers everywhere on the edge of their seats.
For Week 1 of the 2018 NFL season, this matchup is one which should be familiar for a season opener. Last time, the 49ers controlled that game in a big way. However, this Minnesota team is one that could be very different.
The Vikings are considered to be Super Bowl contenders by many of the media experts out there, while the 49ers are a team on the rise thanks to Jimmy Garoppolo, who is undefeated as a starting quarterback.
But who will win the game on Sunday, September 9, 2018? The experts have made their choices and here are some of the most prominent picks from around the internet:
Picking the Minnesota Vikings
- Bleacher Report Staff
- CBS Sports – John Breech
- CBS Sports – Will Brinson
- CBS Sports – Jared Dubin
- CBS Sports – Jamey Eisenberg
- CBS Sports – Pete Prisco
- CBS Sports – Dave Richard
- CBS Sports – Ryan Wilson
- ESPN – Matt Bowen
- ESPN – Mike Clay
- ESPN – Courtney Cronin
- ESPN – Mike Golic
- ESPN – Dan Graziano
- ESPN – Mila Kimes
- ESPN – Molly Qerin
- ESPN – Lewis Riddick
- ESPN – Kevin Siefert
- ESPN – Nick Wagoner
- ESPN – Seth Wickersham
- ESPN – Trey Wingo
- FanSided – Matt Verderame
- L.A. Times – Sam Farmer
- MMQB – Andrew Brandt
- MMQB – Albert Breer
- MMQB – Mitch Goldich
- MMQB – Jonathan Jones
- MMQB – Jenny Vrentas
- NFL.com – Elliot Harrison
- NFL Spin Zone – Gil Alcaraz IV
- Pro Football Talk – Mike Florio
- Pro Football Talk – Michael David Smith
- SBNation – Christian D’Andrea
- SBNation – Brandon Lee Gowten
- SBNation – Charles McDonald
- SBNation – RVB
- SBNation – Adam Stites
- SBNation – Stephen White
- Sporting News – David Steele
- USA Today – Jarrett Bell
- USA Today – Nate Davis
- USA Today – Mike Jones
- USA Today – Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz
- USA Today -Lorenzo Reyes
- Washington Post – Neil Greenberg
A huge amount of experts are loving the Vikings chances in this game. A strong defense combined with some playmakers on offense would be hard to pick against, especially with the game happening in Minnesota.
Picking the San Francisco 49ers
- MMQB – Bette Marston
- MMQB – Mike Mravic
- SBNation – Geoff Schwartz
Not many are picking San Francisco to win, but there is some logic behind it. The Vikings have a new-look offensive line, there is a chance star corner Xavier Rhodes could miss the game, and Jimmy G has yet to suffer his first loss as a starter. Still, there were only a few experts willing to roll the dice on the 49ers.
It looks like the experts are fairly certain that this is a game for the Minnesota Vikings to lose. However, don’t discount the San Francisco 49ers, who should turn some heads and continue to emerge as contenders this season.