NFL Football
2025-12-21 - Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : NFL Week 16
Sunday 21st December 2025 - Scheduled 1pm
6pm (British Time)
Preview
Both of these teams may be eliminated, but the end of the regular season is an opportunity to assess how they can turn things around in 2026. Both have young, inexperienced Quarter Backs starting in this game, and those players need to impress upper management ahead of the Draft where both teams will potentially have high Picks.
The New York Giants (2-12) are one of three teams with just two wins secured this season and there will be some in the fanbase hoping they lose out.
They have a tough test this week against an improving Minnesota Vikings (6-8), although that improvement has come too late. In Week 15 they effectively ended the Dallas Cowboys season with a win on Sunday Night Football and it is going to be a test for the Vikings to back that up after winning in front of a national audience.
JJ McCarthy has not been quite as good as hoped, but he had a big game against the Cowboys and has some big Receivers who can help him continue that trend. It certainly helps that he is throwing against a New York Secondary that has been struggling in recent games and the young Quarter Back can have another solid performance.
He is throwing outdoors this time, which is going to bring its own challenges, but it will help that McCarthy should be well backed by the running game and that should keep him in third and manageable spots around the field.
This should give the Vikings every chance of keeping the chains moving, while the Brian Flores led Defensive unit have to be confident of giving Minnesota a chance to pull clear for a road win.
Jaxson Dart had given the Giants a boost when being brought in as the starting Quarter Back, but he has not looked fully healthy and it really does not help that key Offensive skill players have gone down with injury around him. With a potential high Draft Pick coming up, the Quarter Back will be looking to show the management what he can bring to the field, although a new Head Coach is going to arrive and that may spell Dart being pushed backwards in any pecking order.
He will need the Giants Offensive Line to help establish the run, although Jaxson Dart has not looked as comfortable running the ball himself to steer clear of pressure.
The Vikings Defensive Line may be extra ready to stop the run in order to bamboozle Jaxson Dart by asking him to make plays from third and long spots on the field. That would be the plan so they can perhaps create some turnovers, while the Minnesota Secondary have been playing well and will believe they have the talent needed to shut down this Giants passing attack.
It is a tough spot for the Vikings with this game being after a big win on national television and moving from indoors to outdoors.
However, they look stronger than a Giants team that have to be counting down the days until the end of the regular season and Minnesota can do enough to win and cover on the road.
Prediction
Lay the points with the road favourite.
The Pick :
New York Giants 20-24 Minnesota Vikings
