Vikings vs. Giants | NFL Week 16 Breakdown & Best Bets: Young, Wild & Free
Written by: Varun Sharma
Published: Sat Dec 20, 2025, 4:50 am ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
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We've got two young QBs going toe to toe at MetLife this week, with the Giants hosting the Vikings in what should be a fun matchup this week. Let's jump right into it.
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Game Information
Matchup Information
- Location: MetLife Stadium; East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: Sunday, December 21st, 2025
- Kickoff: 1:00 PM EST
Quarterback Matchup
- Minnesota Vikings: J.J. McCarthy (2024 – N/A)
- New York Giants: Jaxson Dart (2024 – n/a)
Betting Odds
Odds via Lucky Rebel, an industry leader in the sports betting world.
Analysis & Breakdown
Darts' the Guy
The Giants have their guy. Jaxson Dart's had a tough time staying on the field at times this year but when he's out there it's very obvious to see that this guy is the QB that Giants' fans have been waiting for. The numbers don't jump off the page just yet, but when you watch this kid play you, you can see everything he brings to the table.
As a starter this year, Dart completed 62.5% of his passes for 200.2 pass yards per game, 13 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions. He's started just nine games for the Giants this year, but every single one's been must see TV.
Outside of Dart, the team's had a tough year. Second year wideout Malik Nabers won't be back till next year and same with the team's rookie RB, Cam Skateboo. Both guys look to be key parts of this Gians offense moving foward and with Dart under center it's gearing up to be one of the more exciting offenses in football.
Defensiely the Gians have been bad. They parted way with their long tie defensive co-ordinator, Shane Bowens, but it hasn't really translated to better defense. Obviously it's tough to expect an immediate impact after such a big coaching decision but it seems like the Giants haven't gotten any better.
'Nine'
J.J. McCarthy's one of the most talked about QBs of the 2025 NFL Season. It's not always good, it's mostly always bad; but he's consistently talked about. He's started eight games this year, averaging 167.8 yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He's got a 56.8% completion rate and ranks dead last in catchable throw rate (67%).
Despite having two elite wideouts in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, McCarthy just hasn't been able to get them the ball. The offense as a whole ranks 25th in points scored, 27th in first downs, 31st in third down conversion rate, 28th in pass yards and 24th in rush yards. The team ranks 27th in yards per play and just haven't been able to unlock any big plays in this offense.
The good news is that the Vikings have had back to back weeks scoring over 30 points. McCarthy's thrown for 413 yards, 5 touchdowns and just 1 interception in these two ames. He's completed over 60% of his passes in both games and the Vikings have walked away with the win in both.
This week the Vikings go up against a defense that ranks 29th in points allowed, 29th in opponent redzone efficiency, 32nd in opponent first downs and 29th in opponent yards per play. The Giants have been bad defensively and this might be the perfect spot for McCarthy to continue building confidence.
Sunday's Best Bets
Aaron Jones o73.5 Rush + Receiving Yards (-112) | Lucky Rebel
The Giants defense has been absolutely gashed by opposing RBs over the last few weeks. New York ranks 31st in rush yards allowed to opposing RBs and 22nd in receiving yards allowed to the position. They've also allowed seven of the last eight RB1s they've gone up against to clear this rush/receiving yard line.
Jones has cleared this line just three times in his last seven and just one of six road games. That being said, the Vikings come into this game off back to back wins and now going on the road to play in the cold and snowy MetLife Stadium. Temperatures will be below freezing with winds up to 21 mph and snow may or may not be falling during the game.
Snowy weather in a hostile road environment, this is the exact place you lean on your veteran RB.
The Giants rank dead last in the NFL in opponent yards per carry, allowing opponents to average 5.6 yards per carry this year. They've given up 3+ receptions to opposing backs in five of their last seven games and we've Jones thrive in this Minnesota pass game. Jones has 3+ receptions in five of his last six games, seeing 4+ targets in all five of those games.
This week I'm looking for Jones to have a significant impact as the season winds down.
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