Aug 20, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings fans react before a preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
VikingsTerritory asked a handful of Minnesota Vikings fans for a prediction of Sunday’s game between Minnesota and the San Francisco 49ers.
The fans have spoken.
The Vikings walloped the New York Giants last weekend, getting off to a sweet start in 2024 and changing the minds of NFL fans along the way. Some believed the purple team might be a bottom-feeder this season, but it sure didn’t look like it in Week 1.
This weekend, the Vikings host the 49ers, a team that, per oddsmakers, will likely reach the Super Bowl again in February.
Vikings fans predict the Vikings will lose their first game of the season.
Fans narrowly chose the 49ers, evidently not totally confident that the momentum from Week 1 can funnel to U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 2.
Here’s how the fan panel sees the score for Week 2:
Bruce Johnson: 49ers Win, 31-20
Chris: Vikings Win, 24-21
Christina: Vikings Win, 30-21
Eric Horstman: Vikings Win, 24-21
Ivan, Czar of Bohunks: Vikings Win, 27-24
Keat_on: 49ers Win, 30-24
Legend of Corra: 49ers Win, 23-13
PurpleVikodin: 49ers Win, 34-21
RedNPurple: Vikings Win, 19-16
SkolSister: 49ers Win, 24-21
Skol Tom: Vikings Win, 24-20
Steve Berglund: Vikings Win, 24-23
Tadd: 49ers Win, 27-20
Thee…Mr. Legend: 49ers Win, 27-17
Mathematically en masse, fans predict the 49ers will top the Vikings by a score of 24-22.
And the season standings for fans’ predictions:
Christina: 1-0
Eric Horstman: 1-0
Ivan, Czar of Bohunks: 1-0
Keat_on: 1-0
Legend of Corra: 1-0
PurpleVikodin: 1-0
RedNPurple: 1-0
SkolSister: 1-0
Skol Tom: 1-0
Steve Berglund: 1-0
Tadd: 1-0
Thee…Mr. Legend: 1-0
Bruce Johnson: 0-1
Chris: 0-1
SI.com‘s Conor Orr does not believe the Vikings have the juice to prevail in Week 2, either. “The 49ers dominated a talented Jets team and the Vikings don’t have nearly the firepower up front that New York did,” Orr wrote.
“I took the Vikings in my preseason All-272 game projections because I wondered if Darnold could have left San Francisco with some intel that was possibly useful. However, watching the 49ers’ ground game during the opener shows there’s no intelligence that can counter a complete pounding.”
The 49ers are favored to prevail by 5.5 points against the 49ers. Last year, San Francisco was supposed to topple Minnesota by seven points, and then the Vikings won by five on Monday Night Football.
The Vikings finished 2-6 (.250) at home last season, their work mark since 2013.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.