Falcons vs Vikings NFL Week 2 SNF Picks

Sunday Night Football in Week 2 brings us a fun one: two second-year quarterbacks trying to prove they belong under the bright lights. J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings welcome Michael Penix Jr. and the Falcons to Minnesota at 8:20 PM ET on NBC, with Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth in the booth.

Both teams are hoping their young QBs can take a step forward this season — and with early playoff positioning on the line, this matchup has some real intrigue.

Let’s dive into three picks we like for this NFC showdown.

Falcons vs Vikings NFL Week 2 SNF Predictions

Pick #1: Minnesota Vikings -3.5 over Atlanta Falcons (-102)  Click Here to Bet

Pick #2: Under 44.5 (-110) Click Here to Bet

Pick #3: Justin Jefferson to score a touchdown (+105)  Click Here to Bet

Pick #1: Vikings -3.5 over Falcons (-102)

Minnesota pulled off a gutsy comeback win against the Bears on Monday Night Football to open the season. It wasn’t the cleanest performance, as J.J. McCarthy threw a pick-six that put the Vikings in an early hole, but the rookie showed resilience down the stretch.

McCarthy settled in, made smart decisions in crunch time, and looked like someone Kevin O’Connell can continue to build around. The offense leaned on a balanced attack, with Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones keeping the ground game alive, and McCarthy mixing in some sharp throws when it mattered.

On the flip side, Michael Penix Jr. had a good Week 1 throwing for 298 yards. The arm talent is obvious, but at times he can look rattled by pressure and confused by disguised coverages, something Brian Flores is known for dialing up as the defensive coordinator of the Vikings. Expect Flores to bring the heat again and force Penix to make tough throws under duress.

Add in some injury issues at wide receiver for Atlanta, and it’s hard to see them keeping up. Minnesota looks more polished on both sides of the ball right now, and -3.5 feels like a fair number given their momentum coming off a prime-time win.

Pick #2: Under 44.5 (-110)

While both teams have exciting young talent, this doesn’t necessarily scream shootout.

Minnesota played it relatively safe last week with an abundance of short passes, ball control, and smart play design to protect McCarthy. That’s typical for Kevin O’Connell, especially when playing on the road or on a short week.

Atlanta, meanwhile, struggled to get anything going consistently on offense. After a loss in which they threw the ball 42 times, the Falcons will likely try to slow the game down with a heavy dose of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, which could keep the clock moving and points down.

Both defenses also have talent. Minnesota’s front looked quick and aggressive in Week 1, and Atlanta’s secondary, led by A.J. Terrell and Jessie Bates, is good enough to keep McCarthy in check, especially without Jordan Addison (suspended).

Factor in the short week for Minnesota and the likely-conservative game scripts, and this feels like a 20-17 or 23-16 type of game.

Pick #3: Justin Jefferson to score a touchdown (+105)

No surprise here. Justin Jefferson is still the alpha in this offense and, even with limited snaps in training camp due to a hamstring issue, he looked ready to roll in Week 1.

He only caught four passes for 44 yards, but one of those was a red-zone touchdown. He looked every bit like the dominant WR1 we’ve seen the last few years.

With Jordan Addison out, Jefferson’s target share should remain sky-high. Yes, Atlanta has a strong secondary, but Jefferson is elite at finding space, even against double coverage. He’s always a threat on deep balls and quick fades near the goal line.

At +105, you're getting even money on one of the NFL’s best touchdown threats in a game where the Vikings should move the ball. That’s solid value.