The Minnesota Vikings will face off against the Detroit Lions at 8:20 ET on Sunday, January 5th. This matchup is being played at Ford Field in Detroit.

The Vikings are +129 on the money line as they take on the Lions at 8:20 ET on Sunday, January 5th. The Vikings are +3 point underdogs on the road in this NFC North matchup. The game is being televised on NBC, and the Lions are favored at -154 on the money line. The over/under line is sitting at 56 points.

• Date: Sunday, January 5th
• Time: 8:20 ET
• Location: Ford Field, Detroit
• TV: NBC

Vikings vs Lions

With a 14-2 record, the Vikings have won nine straight games, including a 27-25 victory over the Packers in week 17. This streak includes a 30-12 win over the Bears in week 15 and a 27-24 win over the Seahawks in week 16. Minnesota is 6-1 on the road and 8-1 at home this season, and they have a +7.6 scoring margin. Against the spread, they are 11-4-1, covering in four straight games.

Our projections give the Vikings a 100% chance of making the playoffs and a 34.9% chance of winning the NFC North. They are currently 6th in our NFL power rankings. Their O/U record is 7-9, with the over hitting in their last two games.

With a 14-2 record, the Lions sit atop both the NFC North and our power rankings. They have a 65.1% chance of winning the division and have already clinched a playoff spot. After a week 15 loss to the Bills, Detroit bounced back with wins over the Bears (34-17) and 49ers (40-34) in weeks 16 and 17, respectively. They covered the spread in both games, including a 6-point win over San Francisco as 3.5-point favorites.

Detroit is 11-4-1 against the spread, with a +12.5 scoring margin. Their O/U record is 9-6-1, with the over hitting in four straight games. Their week 17 matchup with the 49ers had 74 points, easily surpassing the 50-point line.

Vikings Injury Report

• Aaron Jones – Quadricep (Questionable)
• Fabian Moreau – Hip (Questionable)
• Christian Darrisaw – Knee (Out)
• Pat Jones II – Knee (Questionable)
• Mekhi Blackmon – Knee (Out)
• J.J. McCarthy – Knee (Out)
• NaJee Thompson – Knee (Out)
• Henry Byrd – Undisclosed (Out)
• Jeremy Flax – Undisclosed (Out)
• Taki Taimani – Ankle (Out)

Lions Injury Report

• Teddy Bridgewater – Gameday Inactive (Out)
• Kyle Peko – Pectoral (Out)
• Kalif Raymond – Foot (Questionable)
• Alex Anzalone – Forearm (Out)
• David Montgomery – Knee (Out)
• John Cominsky – Knee (Out)
• Michael Badgley – Hamstring (Out)
• Marcus Davenport – Elbow (Out)
• Carlton Davis – Jaw (Out)
• Aidan Hutchinson – Tibia (Out)
• Alim McNeill – Knee (Out)
• Kayode Awosika – Gameday Inactive (Out)
• Derrick Barnes – Knee (Out)
• Khalil Dorsey – Leg (Out)
• Jonah Williams – Gameday Inactive (Out)
• Netane Muti – Shoulder (Out)
• Malcolm Rodriguez – Knee (Out)
• Connor Galvin – Knee (Out)
• Brodric Martin – Gameday Inactive (Out)
• Colby Sorsdal – Gameday Inactive (Out)
• Antoine Green – Concussion (Out)
• Mekhi Wingo – Knee (Out)
• Ennis Rakestraw Jr. – Hamstring (Out)
• Giovanni Manu – Gameday Inactive (Out)
• Nate Lynn – Shoulder (Out)

Vikings Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 18, the Vikings rank 10th in our offensive power rankings and 9th in the NFL in scoring, averaging 26.4 points per game. They have been strong in the first quarter, ranking 2nd in the league in points scored. Minnesota is 12th in the NFL in passing attempts per game but ranks 5th in passing yards, averaging 243.8 per game. Sam Darnold threw for 377 yards and 3 touchdowns in week 17 against the Packers, completing 33 of 43 passes.

On the ground, the Vikings rank 19th in rushing yards per game, with 108.4, on 27.4 attempts per game. Aaron Jones, who is questionable for week 18 with a quadricep injury, had 47 yards on 12 carries in week 17. Minnesota ranks 10th in the NFL in 3rd-down conversions, with a rate of 41.2%, and they are 22nd in red zone conversion percentage.

Lions Offense Breakdown

Jared Goff has been on fire for the Lions, posting a passer rating of 132 in week 17 against the 49ers, with 303 yards and 3 touchdowns, without an interception. In his last three games, he has thrown for 336 yards (week 16) and 494 yards (week 15). Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 117 yards on 18 carries in week 17, while Jameson Williams led the team with 5 catches for 77 yards.

Detroit’s offense is averaging 33.3 points per game, leading the NFL, and ranks 2nd in passing yards per game with 266.1. They are 6th in rushing, averaging 144.4 yards per game, and 3rd in 3rd-down conversions, with a 47.9% success rate.

Vikings Team Defense

In their 27-25 win over the Packers, the Vikings’ defense gave up 167 passing yards on 19 completions. They also allowed 104 rushing yards on 24 attempts. For the game, the Vikings held Green Bay to 271 total yards. Minnesota’s defense recorded three sacks and held the Packers to a 36.7% conversion rate on third down.

Minnesota did allow one passing touchdown and saw Green Bay convert 57.1% of their third down attempts. The Vikings’ defense also had 4 more QB hits than the Packers, but they did lose the tackles for loss battle by a margin of -6.

Lions Team Defense

Despite giving up 400 passing yards, the Lions’ defense came up with two interceptions in their 40-34 win over the 49ers. San Francisco completed 75% of their passes and converted 62.5% of their third down attempts. The Lions allowed 475 total yards, with 400 of those coming through the air, and 75 yards on 18 rushing attempts.

The Lions allowed the 49ers to average 10 yards per passing attempt and give up three passing touchdowns. Detroit’s defense did come up with two interceptions to help slow down the 49ers’ passing attack.

Vikings vs Lions Trends

• Across their ten previous road games, Minnesota has an ATS mark of 4-3-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 7-3 while averaging 21 points per game.
• Detroit has played well in their previous three home games, going 3-0 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 32 points per game while allowing 19. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-0.
• As the betting underdog, the Vikings have an ATS record of 3-0 in their last three games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 3-0.
• Over the team’s last five games as the favorite, the Lions struggled vs the spread going just 2-2-1. However, they still had a straight up mark of 4-1.

Vikings vs Lions Prediction

Our projected score for this week 18 matchup between the Vikings and Lions is 34-30 in favor of the Vikings. With the point spread sitting at -3 in favor of the Vikings, we really like them to cover as road underdogs.

For the over/under, we have a projected combined score of 64 points, making the over a great pick with the line at 56 points.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.