Vikings-Giants Week 1 score predictions from the Vikings on SI staff

Another Minnesota Vikings season will get underway on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium. It’s an interesting opener pitting two teams who matched up in the playoffs a couple years ago and then regressed and missed the postseason in 2023.

The Vikings are beginning life without Kirk Cousins. Injured rookie J.J. McCarthy is their future, but in the meantime, they have high expectations for what they can do with Sam Darnold at quarterback this season. Kevin O’Connell and company believe they’re capable of surprising a lot of people with a solid offense and a potentially great defense.

The Giants come into this game as 1.5-point home underdogs after going 6-11 a year ago and then losing stars like Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney in the offseason. This is a big year for Daniel Jones and Brian Daboll, who could both wind up on the hot seat.

So who wins this Week 1 matchup on Sunday? Our Vikings on SI writers have made their picks.

Will Ragatz: Vikings 20, Giants 17

I think this will be a rather low-scoring, competitive affair between two teams with shaky quarterback situations and some dangerous playmakers on defense. I expect Darnold to put together a solid performance in which he leans on Aaron Jones and Justin Jefferson. But more than that, this pick comes from my confidence in Brian Flores and the pieces he has on his defense. The difference in this game will be a couple Daniel Jones turnovers.

Joe Nelson: Vikings 27, Giants 0

Malik Nabers is probably the next big thing in football, but his talents won’t be realized until he has a requisite quarterback throwing him the ball. Daniel Jones ain’t it and an aggressive Minnesota defense is going to speed him up on the fast track to the Land of Journeyman Backups. A defensive touchdown is definitely in play Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

Nolan O’Hara: Vikings 24, Giants 21

Daniel Jones lit up the Vikings in the playoffs two years ago, but that was against Ed Donatell’s defense, not that of Brian Flores. Flores’ blitz-heavy scheme will make life a lot more difficult on Jones, whose career has taken a downturn since beating the Vikings in the playoffs. Sam Darnold does enough to get a win in his Vikings debut.

Tony Liebert: Giants 20, Vikings 17

Many experts expect the Giants to have one of the worst rosters in the NFL for the 2024-25 season. Star rookie receiver Malik Nabers will be relied on heavily as the team’s lone dynamic playmaker, flanked by veteran receiver Darius Slayton and free agent running back Devin Singletary. The public has seemingly given up on the duo of quarterback Daniel Jones and head coach Brian Daboll, but I think new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen can provide the Vikings with some challenges on the road and I see New York winning this game.

Jonathan Harrison: Vikings 20, Giants 3

The Sam Darnold that arrives on Sunday won’t be the same one that was previously haunted at MetLife Stadium. In the best situation of his entire career, Darnold will play some of the best ball of his career while throwing to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. More importantly for the Vikings’ offense, a run game — led by Aaron Jones — will finally complement that dynamic passing attack. An improved defense in Year 2 of the Brian Flores era will show signs of being a potential top-10 unit in shutting down Daniel Jones.

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