San Francisco (5-1) at Minnesota (2-4)
When: Monday, October 23rd, 2023
Where: U.S. Bank Stadium,
Minneapolis, MN
Time: 8:15 ET | TV: ESPN
Opening Odds: San Francisco -7.5/43
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The San Francisco 49ers are coming off an upset loss at the Cleveland Browns last week and will look to bounce back with another road game on Monday Night Football. San Fran will visit the struggling Minnesota Vikings after falling 19-17 to the Browns. Jake Moody tried to give the Niners the win with a 41-yard field goal attempt, but it went wide right. The Vikings will be 6.5-point home underdogs in this contest with a total of 44.
49ers’ running back Christian McCaffrey is dealing with an injury to his oblique and ribs and his status for Monday’s game is uncertain. If McCaffrey cannot go, Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason are capable of sharing the workload. Mitchell rushed for 963 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie in 2021 but has played only eight games since then. McCaffrey enters Week 7 with an NFL-high 553 rushing yards to go along with nine touchdowns (seven rushing, two receiving).
The Vikings have won two of three after starting 0-3, but those wins came against two of the poorest in the league in Carolina and Chicago. Minnesota is 0-3 at home and 3-8-1 ATS overall dating back to last season. San Francisco leads the all-time series 25-23-1 including the postseason. They last played in the 2021 regular season with the 49ers winning 34-26 at home.
Last week’s loss wasn’t a huge surprise. The Niners were coming off a huge home win over the Dallas Cowboys and had won 15 in a row. You can’t win them all. Brock Purdy suffered his first regular-season loss as a starter and was just 12-for-27 for 125 yards with a TD and pick. To make matters worse, three key offensive players in running back McCaffrey, receiver Deebo Samuel and left tackle Trent Williams all left injured. The 49ers lead the league in fewest points allowed per game (14.5) and lowest opponent passer rating (67.2).
San Francisco 49ers Injury Report [Week 7]
| Player | Pos. | Status/Updated |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah Oliver | CB | Ques Mon - Knee - 10/19/23 |
| Deebo Samuel | WR | Ques Mon - Shoulder - 10/17/23 |
| Christian McCaffrey | RB | Ques Mon - Oblique - 10/17/23 |
| Trent Williams | OT | Ques Mon - Ankle - 10/17/23 |
| Dre Greenlaw | LB | Ques Mon - Hamstring - 10/17/23 |
| Samuel Womack III | CB | Out indefinitely - Knee - 9/16/23 |
| Robert Beal Jr. | DL | Out indefinitely - Hamstring - 8/31/23 |
| Cameron Latu | TE | I-R - Knee - 8/29/23 |
| Danny Gray | WR | Out indefinitely - Shoulder - 8/30/23 |
| Darrell Luter Jr. | CB | Out indefinitely - Knee - 8/29/23 |
Minnesota won in their first game without superstar receiver Justin Jefferson, who might miss the rest of the season due to a hamstring injury. The offense clearly missed him with only 220 yards and 2-for-12 on third down. Kirk Cousins is tied for the league lead with 14 touchdown passes and hasn’t thrown an interception in the last two games. The defense easily played its best game of the year and forced two turnovers from undrafted free agent backup Tyson Bagent. The Vikings are now 2-4 in one-score games this season after going 11-0 last year.
Minnesota Vikings Injur Report [Week 7]
| Player | Pos. | Status/Updated |
|---|---|---|
| Kene Nwangwu | RB | Prob Mon - Back - 10/18/23 |
| Ezra Cleveland | G | Ques Mon - Foot - 10/19/23 |
| Akayleb Evans | CB | Ques Mon - Oblique - 10/19/23 |
| Patrick Jones II | LB | Ques Mon - Shoulder - 10/19/23 |
| Lewis Cine | S | Ques Mon - Hamstring - 10/17/23 |
| Marcus Davenport | LB | Late Nov - Ankle - 10/18/23 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | Late Nov - Hamstring - 10/14/23 |
| Nick Mullens | QB | Out indefinitely - Back - 10/11/23 |
| Jalen Nailor | WR | Ques Mon - Hamstring - 10/18/23 |
| Olisaemeka Udoh | G | I-R - Quadricep - 9/19/23 |
| James Lynch | DL | I-R - Knee - 8/6/23 |
The oddsmakers are begging you to take the 49ers with the 6.5-point spread. I’ll bite. This could be the best team in the league and they’re coming off a rare loss. They were going up against a tough defense last week in Cleveland. The Vikings aren’t the Browns on that side of the ball. Also, Cousins is 2-10 SU and ATS on Monday Night Football. San Fran should win this easily, with or without McCaffrey.
Pick: 49ers -6.5
