Chris Jericho made a successful football prediction on September 27, calling for the Minnesota Vikings to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by at least seven points before the two teams met. Minnesota delivered exactly that result, defeating Tampa Bay 23-16.

Jericho was present on the sidelines ahead of the game and checked in before kickoff, offering a confident forecast for the home team. The seven-point margin mattered: it was not simply a prediction that the Vikings would win, but that they would clear a full touchdown spread. When the final score was settled, Minnesota had done just that.

The victory moved the Vikings to 3-0 on the season. For Jericho, it also added another memorable moment to a developing association with the Minnesota franchise during the current campaign.

Jericho Gets the Margin Right

A 23-16 scoreline left little room for interpretation. The Vikings beat the Buccaneers by seven points, matching the minimum winning margin Jericho predicted prior to the game.

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Football predictions are often framed broadly, especially in pregame appearances where personalities are asked to back a team or offer a quick opinion. Jericho’s call carried a more specific element because he attached a seven-point threshold to Minnesota’s expected win. That made the result especially notable once the Vikings closed out Tampa Bay by the exact margin required.

The appearance put one of AEW’s most recognizable names in a major NFL setting, with Jericho joining the game-day atmosphere around an undefeated Vikings team. The connection was not a one-off development created solely by the Buccaneers matchup, either. Jericho had already been involved with the club’s content before the season began.

A Continuing Minnesota Vikings Connection

Jericho appeared in the Minnesota Vikings’ schedule-release video ahead of the season, establishing a link between the wrestling veteran and the NFL organization before the team played a regular-season game.

That earlier appearance gave the sideline visit added context. Rather than being introduced to the Vikings audience for the first time before the Tampa Bay game, Jericho returned to a relationship that had already been part of the club’s preseason promotional rollout. The Vikings’ 3-0 start has now made that connection arrive alongside a strong early run on the field.

The schedule-release video and the September 27 appearance represent different types of crossover visibility. The first centered on the anticipation of a new season and the unveiling of Minnesota’s slate of games. The later appearance came with actual results on the board, as the Vikings entered the Buccaneers contest looking to preserve an unbeaten record.

They succeeded, and Jericho’s prediction became part of the day’s discussion because it aligned so closely with the final result. Minnesota did not merely edge Tampa Bay in an unexpected finish, nor did it win by a wide enough margin to make the seven-point benchmark irrelevant. The final score landed precisely on that line.

AEW Star Brings Wrestling Visibility to an NFL Weekend

Jericho has remained one of the most recognizable crossover figures associated with AEW. His name carries a long history in professional wrestling, and appearances outside the weekly wrestling television environment can place AEW talent in front of audiences that may not be following every development inside the promotion.

The Vikings appearance was centered on football rather than an AEW storyline, match angle, or promotional announcement. Still, the timing naturally connects to Jericho’s active schedule as a wrestler. He is set to face Nick Wayne at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam France.

That upcoming match gives the NFL appearance a clear wrestling follow-up. Jericho’s successful prediction came while he continues preparing for a bout against one of AEW’s younger competitors. Nick Wayne and Jericho represent very different generations within the company, and the announced Grand Slam France meeting puts them directly across from each other.

There is no need to overstate the relationship between a football prediction and a wrestling match. The Vikings-Buccaneers game was a separate event, and the result does not change the official stakes of Jericho’s clash with Wayne. But for Jericho, the weekend supplied a favorable public moment before he returns to AEW competition.

What the 3-0 Start Means for the Vikings

Minnesota’s win over Tampa Bay was significant on its own terms. The Vikings protected their unbeaten record and improved to 3-0, placing the team in a strong position early in the season.

For a club beginning the year with three straight wins, every victory adds to the sense of momentum. The Buccaneers game also provided a result with a clean, memorable number attached to it for Jericho’s involvement: 23 points for Minnesota, 16 for Tampa Bay, and a seven-point Vikings win.

That is the sort of finish that makes a pregame prediction easy to revisit. Had Minnesota won by fewer than seven, Jericho would have been close but not correct on the stated margin. Had Tampa Bay rallied for the victory, the call would have gone the other way entirely. Instead, the Vikings delivered the exact outcome needed for the prediction to stand.

Jericho predicted that the Vikings would defeat the Buccaneers by at least seven points. Minnesota won 23-16.

As a result, the day became another small chapter in the relationship between Jericho and the Vikings. It began with preseason schedule-release material, continued with a game-day appearance, and now includes a prediction that landed exactly as stated.

Focus Turns Back to Nick Wayne and Grand Slam France

Once the football weekend is complete, Jericho’s attention will return to AEW and his scheduled match with Nick Wayne at Dynamite Grand Slam France.

Wayne is a notable opponent for Jericho because the matchup places an established star against a younger wrestler whose career has unfolded in a very different era of the industry. Jericho’s experience has long been one of the defining points of his presentation, while Wayne represents a newer generation working to establish his own position on major AEW programming.

The announced match provides a straightforward competitive setting for both wrestlers. Jericho will look to carry momentum from a high-profile weekend appearance into the ring, while Wayne will have the opportunity to share the spotlight with a performer whose name remains familiar far beyond the usual wrestling audience.

Grand Slam France also gives the bout an international stage. Jericho has competed in prominent environments throughout his career, and Nick Wayne’s match against him places Wayne in a major setting as well. The outcome of the Vikings game will not decide anything when the bell rings, but it adds an unusual and lighthearted footnote to Jericho’s week heading into the event.

An Exact Call Before an AEW Return

Chris Jericho’s involvement around Minnesota’s win was brief in comparison with the NFL season as a whole, but it was effective. He backed the Vikings to win by at least a touchdown. Minnesota beat Tampa Bay by a touchdown. The Vikings left the game at 3-0, and Jericho left with a prediction that could be counted as correct.

It is a simple result, but the exactness of the final score makes it stand out. In sports, predictions are frequently revisited when they miss narrowly or when an unexpected outcome turns them into a talking point. In this case, Jericho’s forecast did not need qualification. Minnesota won 23-16, reaching the seven-point margin he set before the game.

For AEW viewers, the next major item on Jericho’s calendar is his meeting with Nick Wayne at Dynamite Grand Slam France. The Vikings may have given Jericho a successful football moment, but his next test will take place in the ring.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.