A quarterback Kirk Cousins touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph in overtime sent the Vikings to Santa Clara for the Divisional round and ended the Saints' Super Bowl hopes.
San Francisco opened as 7.5-point favorites in Saturday's matchup, according to OddsShark.com. It's not unfamiliar territory for the road-team Vikings, who entered Sunday's Wildcard matchup against the Saints as 7.5-point underdogs.
49ers players felt well-prepared for the possibility of facing the Vikings for the first time this season.
"We've had a lot of cross games, actually, with the Vikings, so we've seen them on tape quite a bit this year," tackle Joe Staley explained this past week. "We'll try to [advance scout] what we can, but also, it's about us getting these bonus practices, and taking advantage of the time to get your body right and get healthy, and all that stuff."
Minnesota could be facing a relatively healthy 49ers squad with veteran pass rusher Dee Ford and maybe even linebacker Kwon Alexander back in the lineup on defense.
The Vikings and 49ers will kick off on Saturday at 1:35 p.m. from Levi's Stadium with a trip to the NFC Championship Game on the line.
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