The Detroit Lions might’ve already won the NFC North title, but they still have the opportunity to lock down the No. 2 seed in the conference depending on how things go on Sunday against a divisional rival in the Minnesota Vikings. The kick-off is scheduled for 1 PM EST at Ford Field. Detroit is coming off a loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17 and with playoff implications at hand, they will play all of their starters this weekend, as Dan Campbell revealed on Monday. As for the Vikings, they’ve lost three in a row. This game means nothing except potentially finishing the campaign on a high note. Keep reading for the Vikings vs Lions picks.
Before we lay out the odds, preview, and prediction, check out our NFL betting odds and Super Bowl odds for 2024.
The Lions are favored at -170 on the moneyline in Week 18, while the Vikings come back at +150. Detroit is also laying three points on the spread. The total is set at 46 points. The Lions have won two in a row against Minny, with their last victory over them clinching the division one a couple of weeks ago.
Injuries were the unfortunate reality for the Vikings this season, losing quarterback Kirk Cousins early in the season to a torn Achilles. They’ve used three different QBs since then, including trade deadline acquisition Josh Dobbs, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall. None of them have been very reliable either, with Hall struggling in a blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers the other day before Mullins came in to finish the second half.
The Vikings fell to 7-9 with the defeat and have gone just 1-4 in their last five games. The Bengals and Lions previously beat them in Week 15 and Week 16. It was always going to be hard for Minnesota to stay competitive without Cousins, especially because none of the other options are exactly starters, anyway. Hall completed 5 of 10 passes on Sunday for a mere 67 yards, which stands to reason why he was benched. Mullens did a bit better, completing 13 of 22 throws for 113 yards and a touchdown. The Vikings were outgained 470-211 in this one and were also held to a measly 67 yards rushing. To be frank, it was a putrid performance.
The future does feel uncertain for Minny because Cousins might not be back. But as Justin Jefferson said recently, there are only so many guys in this league who know how to perform as a starting quarterback. If they were smart, Cousins would be back in a Vikings uniform in 2024. When it comes to the season finale, it’ll likely be Mullens or Hall starting. With Detroit ready to compete for another win, this will be a difficult game for Minnesota.
Only a few years ago, the thought of the Lions winning the NFC North was unimaginable. Fast forward to 2023 and they not only did it, but Detroit is also eyeing the No. 2 seed in the NFC. A win here and results going their way elsewhere can ensure that. Dan Campbell’s squad has truly opened eyes across the league this season with an electric offense and a stout defense. Led by Jared Goff, they rank top-five in total yards, passing yards, rushing yards, and points.
Goff has completed 67% of his passes for 4,255 yards and 28 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. While he’s had one or two disappointing games, the quarterback is pretty consistent overall. It also does help that he has such dynamic weapons as Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, and David Montgomery, among others. St. Brown has reeled in 112 catches for 1,371 yards in 23′ while LaPorta already has 81 grabs, too. This backfield could be their most potent part though, with Montgomery averaging 4.7 yards per carry and Gibbs rushing for 5.4 yards per carry. The Lions are a very tough team to stop.
The loss to the Cowboys was truly a heartbreaker given how things ended. Detroit scored a TD late in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 20-19 and went for it to try and win it, but Dallas stopped them right in their tracks. Goff didn’t play too well as he threw two picks. The signal-caller will definitely be motivated to respond in the finale with a much better performance in front of the Detroit faithful.
There’s a lot on the line here for the Lions and they’re 5-2 at home. I expect them to come out and grab a convincing victory against a Vikings team with little life in recent weeks. Take the moneyline.
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