The Minnesota Vikings head east to face the New York Giants in the preseason opener for both teams. The game marks John Harbaugh’s debut as the Giants' new head coach.
Meanwhile, the Vikings unveil newly named starter Kyler Murray at quarterback. My Vikings vs. Giants predictions look for Murray to enjoy the more successful coming-out party as the Vikings win.
It's all a part of my NFL picks for Saturday, August 15, with the Vikings entering at the -2.5 favorites. Kickoff from MetLife Stadium is slated for 1 p.m. ET (ESPN).
Vikings vs Giants predictions
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Who will win Vikings vs Giants: Vikings moneyline
With the Baltimore Ravens, Harbaugh boasted one of the NFL’s best preseason records at 48-16, and 41-22-1 against the spread. However, he didn’t play his starters much. Lamar Jackson played a total of 123 preseason snaps in seven seasons under Harbaugh. He refused to say who would play on Saturday, but the New York Giants head coach indicated he’s “hardly played any starters” in recent years.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings will likely get a look at Kyler Murray, who was named the starter earlier this week. He said he’d play with “some starters” in New York. If anything, J.J. McCarthy, who lost the starting battle, will be the one to get very limited snaps. That means another veteran, Carson Wentz, will probably get the bulk of the time against Giants rookies.
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Vikings vs Giants Over/Under pick: Over 41.5
The Giants put together a top-five rushing offense last season and averaged more than 20 points per game. The Over also hit during eight of New York's last 10 games of the season.
The Giants face a position battle at backup center, so New York will have motivated blockers up the middle for most of the game. One of the few comments Harbaugh made about playing is that returning former star Odell Beckham Jr. will get plenty of it. The sideline boss said he wanted to play Beckham the entire game, although Harbaugh then hedged a bit.
Minnesota trots out a deep stable of quarterbacks, running backs, and receivers, but the team faces a decided lack of depth at pass-rusher. That all adds up to more points than in your standard preseason opener.
Vikings vs Giants live odds
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Vikings vs Giants weather
It’s expected to be 80-82 degrees at kickoff with a slight chance of rain.
How to watch Vikings vs Giants
| Location | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ |
| Date | Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026 |
| Kickoff | 1 p.m. ET |
| TV | NFL |
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