Minnesota Vikings’ 2024 NFL Schedule: Release date, opponents, biggest games, and predictions

The Minnesota Vikings' offseason is in full swing now that the NFL Draft and free agency are out of the way. From this point on, it's all about making the 90-man roster as good as it can be via OTAs, workouts, and training camp.

One key offseason aspect is hurling itself towards us over the coming weeks, as well, and that's the NFL's schedule release. We already know the Vikings' 2024 opponents, but when and where they play the opposition is far more valuable then simply knowing who they play.

So, let's not waste any more time and go over everything we currently know about the Vikings' 2024 schedule, and more.

Vikings' Schedule Release Date

The NFL teased during the draft that schedules will be released in May, although it didn't give us an exact date. Based off the last couple of years, however, it should come out around the middle of May, as it was released on May 12 in 2022 and May 11 in 2023.

Once that comes out, we will update this with the Vikings' exact schedule.

Home and Away Opponents

Games played at U.S. Bank Stadium: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, and New York Jets

Away games: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, and New York Giants

Biggest Games on the Vikings' 2024 Schedule

Every divisional game: The NFC North is absolutely loaded and one can make an argument that it's the second-best division in football behind the AFC North.

Vikings vs. Falcons: I mean, do I need to explain? It's Kirk Cousins' return, which will undoubtedly be talked about non-stop, all week long - and probably even longer than that.

Vikings vs. 49ers: Hosting the defending NFC champs, after beating them in their own house last year, is certainly a game to circle on the schedule.

Predictions: Primetime matchups, bye week, Week 1 opponent and Week 18 opponent

Which games will be primetime viewing?

Including Thursday night, the Black Friday game, Thanksgiving/Christmas, Sunday night, and Monday Night Football my guess is the Vikings get three primetime slots, including the regularly scheduled TNF matchup.

Vikes/49ers get the first nod because it was on MNF, last season, and it was a good game. I'm sure ESPN will be more than happy to broadcast the rematch, especially with the expectations that come with the 9ers.

Both Vikings-Lions matchups went over 50 combined points last season and both games were competitive, so that's my next pick. And then, lastly, a potential J.J. McCarthy-Caleb Williams matchup will be too enticing to pass up (it'll probably be the TNF game, that way it's not a potential SNF/MNF matchup without McCarthy on the field).

I would put Cousins' return, here, but the Falcons market is so small and frankly, they're an uninteresting team. Even after their shenanigans in the draft.

When's the bye week?

This is easily the hardest thing to predict. Let's roll with Week 7. Why? I have no clue. Lucky number seven - there we go.

Who are the Week 1 and Week 18 opponents?

Cousins' return to Minnesota makes a great Week 1 matchup that can be teased all offseason long. The NFL loves scheduling division rivals toward the end of the year, so I'm going to say the Packers are the Week 18 opponent.

Strength of Schedule (based off Vegas win totals, not 2023 record)

Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis does this cool thing every year where he ranks teams' strength of schedule based off Vegas' projected win totals for the upcoming season. He doesn't base it off the standard last-year's-record model and it makes a lot more sense, because of all the change teams go through during the offseason.

At the time of this publication, he hasn't updated it to reflect Vegas' updated, post-draft totals and I'll update this once the information becomes available. Regardless, Sharp has the Vikings' SOS as the fifth-hardest. Only the Ravens, Browns, Patriots and Steelers, in that order, have tougher schedules, as you can see below: