NFL 'MNF' Week 7: Best bets and preview for Vikings vs. 49ers
Week 7 of the 2023 NFL season is nearly over, but we still have one more matchup before we can turn our attention to Week 8. To close out the slate, the 2-4 Minnesota Vikings will host the 5-1 San Francisco 49ers on "Monday Night Football."
Let's break down the Week 7 finale and target some best bets for Vikings-49ers.
Minnesota Vikings vs. San Francisco 49ers betting breakdown
Betting odds: 49ers -7, over/under 43.5, 49ers -325 ML | Vikings +260 ML
The Vikings got off to a nightmare start to the season when they lost three straight games by one possession to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Chargers, but they've bounced back to win two of their last three games. This will be their toughest test to date.
San Francisco jumped out to a 5-0 record to start the year, but it slipped up last week in a defensive struggle against the Cleveland Browns. Brock Purdy had his worst game as a pro with only 125 passing yards on 44.4 percent passing, but he should be able to bounce back against a Vikings defense that ranks 30th in the NFL in opponent passer rating.
The story of "MNF" this week, though, is injuries. The 49ers will be without wide receiver Deebo Samuel and left tackle Trent Williams, and Christian McCaffrey will attempt to play through an oblique injury. Minnesota is still missing star WR Justin Jefferson, and the offense has struggled to generate explosive plays without him.
'Monday Night Football' best bets
Under 43.5 (-105 FanDuel)
This is a play on the impactful injuries affecting both offenses. The Vikings managed just 220 yards and 12 points on offense without Jefferson against an abysmal Chicago Bears defense last week, and they only scraped by because of a fumble recovery for a touchdown. How are they going to move the ball and score against arguably the best defense in the league?
As for the 49ers, Purdy isn't the same player when he doesn't have protection or an effective running game, and San Fran won't be able to play that style of football with Williams and Samuel out and McCaffrey not operating at 100 percent. We're riding the under.
George Kittle over 4.5 receptions (+114 DraftKings)
Kittle is such a hit-or-miss receiving weapon for this 49ers team. Two weeks ago, he hauled in three catches for 67 yards and three touchdowns, then he followed that up with one catch for one yard last week.
You never really know when Kyle Shanahan is going to unleash Kittle in the passing game, but this feels like the perfect time to do so. With Samuel out, the 49ers will need Kittle to take over as the No. 2 pass-catching option behind Brandon Aiyuk. He's proven over the years that he's more than capable of leading San Francisco in the passing game, so let's hope Shanahan agrees on Monday night.
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