Get ready for Sunday Night Football! Explore the latest odds and expert picks for the thrilling matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions.
The final regular season game of the 2024 NFL campaign will be a doozy. Both the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings are 14-2, and they will be squaring off for not just the NFC North title but the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC Playoffs. Detroit won the earlier meeting between these two divisional rivals, but the Lions are less than a field goal favorite at home in the Motor City per the football betting odds. Minnesota has won nine straight games, and that is the longest current streak in the NFL.
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Week 18 Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings +2.5 Detroit Lions -2.5 Total 56.5
There hasn’t been any line movement on the side in this game, but there has been significant action on the total from the opening NFL betting odds. The over/under in this game was initially set at 51.5, and it has since risen by five points.
Minnesota Vikings Overview
No team has been more surprising than the Minnesota Vikings this season. They had the longest odds to win the NFC North at the start of the year, and their season win total was either 6.5 or 7 depending on where you looked. The little optimism surrounding this franchise was wiped away in the first preseason game as No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Even the biggest Vikings fan couldn’t have imagined how well Minnesota would perform with Sam Darnold under center. Darnold has completed 68.1% of his passes for 4,153 yards (8.2 YPA) with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. That has many considering head coach Kevin O’Connell a relative lock to be named NFL Coach of the Year per the football futures odds.
Justin Jefferson has been the best receiver in the NFC this year with 100 receptions for 1,479 yards and 10 touchdowns. Jordan Allison has had a strong second season with 62 catches for 875 yards and nine scores, and T.J. Hockenson has been a solid tight end when healthy too. Meanwhile, Aaron Jones is having a strong season as the top running back with 1,093 yards (4.5 YPC) and five touchdowns while also being a solid receiver out of the backfield.
Minnesota ranks fourth in scoring defense (18.8 PPG), fourth in third-down defense, and first in fourth-down defense. Linebackers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. were all selected to their first Pro Bowl on Thursday. Greenard and Van Ginkel combined for 22.5 sacks and 33 tackles for loss, while Murphy had 14 passes defensed and six interceptions.
Detroit Lions Overview
Jared Goff is having another great season leading the Detroit offense. Goff is completing 71.7% of his passes for 4,398 yards (8.7 YPA) with 36 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. That has helped make the Lions arguably the best offense in the league, averaging 33.1 PPG and 6.2 yards per play.
Goff was selected to the Pro Bowl along with four other starters on this offense. Frank Ragnow and Penei Sewell are two of the best offensive linemen in the NFL, so it was no surprise to see either of them get another nod. Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the league’s leading receivers with 109 receptions for 1,186 yards and 12 touchdowns, leading to his third Pro Bowl selection. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs has been electric too, running for 1,273 yards (5.6 YPC) and 13 touchdowns and also adding 47 catches for 486 yards and three TDs as a receiver.
Detroit has been great at getting off the field on third downs. That’s the only reason they are allowing 20.8 PPG (9th in the NFL), as this team also ranks in the bottom five in total defense. The Lions are allowing 5.8 yards per play, and they are dealing with a myriad of injuries on this side of the ball.
Sunday Night Football Prediction
The Lions have been so good this season that it’s hard to go against them. Even with their defensive woes, I’m going to trust Detroit at home in a game that I think goes under the total as well.
Final Score: Detroit 27, Minnesota 23
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