2023 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 7

San Francisco 49ers (5-1) @ Minnesota Vikings (2-4)

Monday, October 23, 8:15 PM ET

The San Francisco 49ers were humbled quite a bit on Sunday by the Cleveland Browns and their dominant defense. San Francisco couldn't get anything going offensively against Cleveland after dominating their first five games of the season, seemingly having their way with every team they played. That included the Dallas Cowboys, who statistically went into their game against the 49ers with the no. 1 overall scoring defense in the league.

Now, the 49ers will have a little extra time to prep for the Minnesota Vikings and Brian Flores's defense, which got a bit of a "get right" game over the weekend against the Chicago Bears.

It's going to be tough for the VIkings to beat most teams without Justin Jefferson, but even playing at home, this is a particularly tall task. The 49ers are favored by 7 points on the road in this one, which speaks volumes considering we saw what a great pass rush did to Brock Purdy this past weekend.

It's going to be fascinating after how well the Vikings got after Justin Fields on Sunday to see how they get after Brock Purdy and whether or not that's going to help them stay in this game. Ultimately, I just don't know if I can bet against the 49ers given what we've seen from them for the majority of the season. Their offense is too loaded, their defense is too loaded, and without Justin Jefferson, it's going to be tough for the Vikings.

Prediction: 49ers win 31-23