The 49ers will be able to do what the Saints were surprisingly not last week: get consistent pressure on Kirk Cousins. Healthy and rested, San Francisco should be ready for an inconsistent Minnesota team that is riding high and feeling confident after taking down New Orleans a week ago. The 49ers dynamic offense will likely have some tricks up its sleeve with Kyle Shanahan being given two weeks to prepare, and I expect George Kittle to have another big day. No. 6 seeds are 0-8 in the NFL Playoffs vs. No. 1 seeds over the last eight seasons (3-3-2 ATS), and I don't think Minnesota will have enough defensively to stop San Francisco consistently enough to stay within a touchdown.

San Francisco gets back three key defensive starters this week: end Dee Ford, linebacker Kwon Alexander and strong safety Jaquiski Tartt. The 49ers allowed just 12.7 points per game their first eight games and 26.2 their last eight. On offense, quarterback Jimmy Garappolo had a great year despite a few too many interceptions. He completed 69.1 percent of his passes for 8.4 yards per pass and 27 touchdowns. I have the 49ers rated higher than Minnesota on offense, defense and special teams. Take the 49ers.

This is a pretty good value position on the low side of a key number, even in this NFC divisional playoff involving two top-10 defensive units. The Vikings matched their season average with 26 points in their upset of the Saints last weekend with a balanced and effective offense. The 49ers rank second in the NFL with 30 points per contest and used the bye week to get healthy at some key positions. This one should clear the Over with room to spare.

The Vikings and Kirk Cousins got their initial playoff win out of the way last week at New Orleans, but the Cinderella story ends here at San Francisco. The 49ers running game is going to give the Vikings trouble, and then once that opens, it’s George Kittle and Emmanuel Sanders all over the place for big plays. I think this game will provide the largest margin of victory of the weekend. I'm on the 49ers.

San Francisco's offense is one that is explosive and puts a lot of strain on opposing defenses. One defense that's built for that challenge though is Minnesota's. I don't know how much I can trust the Vikings OL in this game, but I do know their defense will be more than game to keep this one under a touchdown. Take Minnesota.

After watching the Vikings beat the Saints, the urge is going to be to want to play them again here, but I'm going against that urge. The 49ers are getting at least one key piece of the defense back in Kwon Alexander and also potentially Dee Ford, and that's not great for a Minnesota offensive line that has had its issues. Adam Thielen's injury is also a concern for the Vikings as he was a big part of their wild-card win, as more than 50 percent of Kirk Cousins' passing yards went to him. Kyle Shanahan has had two weeks to prepare for this game, and I see his offense scoring plenty of points here as the 49ers roll.

At full strength, the Vikings’ lineup clearly suggests a higher seed than No. 6. With oft-injured RB Dalvin Cook and WR Adam Thielen on the field, the offense produces six points and 51 yards more than it does without one or the other. Cook is fit and Thielen appears good to go after hurting an ankle in practice. A veteran defense should keep San Francisco reasonably in check. While the 49ers' defense is regaining its health, it will not send out the optimum lineup. A telling trend: Minnesota has missed covering once in its previous five outings while San Fran has failed in four of its last five home games.

The Vikings aren't your typical No. 6 seed. They can run the ball, they're really good at getting takeaways, and their secondary has gotten much better. The front seven was always strong. They put a lot of pressure on Drew Brees last week. San Fran's offensive line isn't that great. Kirk Cousins has some great targets to throw and, together with Dalvin Cook, they can do enough to keep it close. The 49ers defense will get a boost from the return of Dee Ford, but remember, they gave up 20 or more points in eight of their last nine games. Take the points.

There are a few trends pushing me in this direction. One is that bettors tend to overvalue both home-field advantage and the bye in the NFL playoffs. Road dogs tend to do well in the Divisional Round. Then there's Kyle Shanahan as a favorite. Since taking over in San Francisco, the 49ers are 5-12-1 ATS as a favorite under Shanny, and 3-8-1 ATS as a home favorite. Finally, there's a trend under Mike Zimmer that's hard to ignore as well. Since he took over the Vikings, Minnesota is 18-18 ATS in games against NFC North foes. It's 44-19-1 ATS against non-divisional foes. That's remarkable.