Football season is here, and we’re in for another exciting round of games as the teams fight for a chance to play in the 2023 Super Bowl.
The battle will keep getting more challenging as we clear out more rounds of games. So, we expect the third round to give us more talking points than the previous two.
In our preview this week, we will look at the game between the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions as they fight to win another game and increase their points tally.
We expect an exciting game between these two NFC foes as they play their first-leg tie this season. Join us as we analyze the game and give our expert Vikings vs Lions betting picks.
Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions
This season’s NFL is bringing us another Lions-Vikings rivalry, with both teams looking to make their season better and earn enough points to push them to finish higher and make it into the playoffs.
The Vikings would be hosting the Lions in this tie, and we all know how exciting it gets when both NFL teams play in Minnesota.
As we prepare for the game, the Vikings are a 7.5-point favorite since they are currently the better team between both sides.
They lead the NFC table, although both teams currently share similar NFL stats. With the season in its early phase, we expect a tight game from both sides.
Vikings vs. Lions Matchup Info
The battle is set for the 25th of September at the US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Both teams will go head-to-head in the NFL regular season to increase their current stats and improve their chances of making it into the playoffs. The stipulated kickoff time is noon EDT.
The Vikings would go into this game with a record of 79-40-2 against the Lions and a home record of 43-16-1.
We look forward to seeing how this record will change as they meet again in another exciting NFC matchup.
Minnesota Vikings
The season has had a bitter-sweet start for the Vikings. They won their first tie when they hosted Green Bay Packers in Minneapolis.
The team won 23-7 in a thrilling match that saw Kirk Cousin score two TDs and 277 yards. He was one of the best performers on the day, with Greg Joseph also lighting up the show. The second game wasn’t as exciting for the team as they lost to Philadelphia Eagles.
QB Jalen Hurts was the star of the show, and he was the reason the Philadelphia Eagles won 24-7 against the Vikings. We expect the team to pick themselves and push for a win as they play in front of their home crowd.
Key Injuries
Some players are set to miss some of the games in the Vikings’ schedule for the 2022/23 NFL season. The key injuries the team would be facing this season include LB Ryan Connelly and WR Blake Proehl.
Unfortunately, after suffering a concussion in the game against the Eagles, Harrison Smith is in doubt about starting the tie. Also, Andrew Booth Jr. might not feature in the game against the Lions.
Betting Trends to Know
- The last time in Minneapolis, the Vikings beat the Lions 19-17.
- Kirk Cousins’ 4,221 passing yards currently ranks ninth in the NFL.
- Danielle Hunter got 12 of his 60.5 career sacks against the Lions.
- The Vikings are currently in this rivalry’s lead for the record.
Detroit Lions
Like Minnesota, Detroit Lions have one win and one loss in the season’s first two games. They lost their opening match to Philadelphia Eagles, the same team that defeated the Vikings.
But theirs was a close battle that ended 35-38. The Eagles got the edge because of J. Hurts and Jake Elliot’s brilliance throughout the game.
Fortunately for the team, they won in the second game after facing the Washington Commanders at home and winning 36-27.
It was a good game that gave us different talking points. Although the Commanders had the better stats, the Lions were victorious.
Key Injuries
Detriot Lions has quite the list of injured players. The team has some key injuries that might affect their game throughout the season, and the Lions game today. Some of the key injuries in the team are listed below:
- Jason Cabinda is out for an ankle injury
- Romeo Okwara is out for an Achilles injury
- Josh Paschal has a sports hernia
- Jerry Jacobs is out for a knee injury
- Jameson Williams is also out for a knee injury
Frank Ragnow, Amani Oruwariye, Ifeatu Melifonwu, and Jonah Jackson are all on the questionable list.
Betting Trends to Know
- The Lions haven’t recorded double-digit wins since the ’14 season.
- Detroit’s defense is last in net yards as they have 7.2 yards allowed per passing attempt
- The Lons ended an eight-game losing streak when they played Minnesota last December.
Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions Odds Breakdown
Minnesota Vikings | Detroit Lions |
---|---|
-263 | +215 |
This is a tight game, following how long both teams have been at it. Still, Minnesota Vikings has had a better record in recent meetings.
They won eight from their last nine meetings, making the Vikings vs Lions betting picks shift toward them, and we can see it translated into the odds with them being the favorite to win at -263.
NFL Teams’ Winning Chances
The team’s winning chance is 72% with these odds, which does influence Vikings vs Lions betting picks. However, they’ve only won 20% of the matches they played with these odds.
On the other hand, the Lions’ +215 odds give them a 32% winning chance, but they’ve won 30% of the matches when they had these odds, making it tricky to make a solid pick for this tie.
Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions Betting Picks
Both teams will certainly go at it for the win. They would want to take maximum points from the game to increase their tally for the season as they prepare to play in the playoffs.
They’re familiar foes and have been at it for many decades. So, the rivalry is an exciting one to look forward to. However, our Vikings vs. Lions betting pick for this game is Vikings is to win.
Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions Score Prediction
Detroit has been scoring plenty since the start of the season, but Minnesota struggled to score much in their second game.
But we think this tie would produce plenty of points with Kirk Cousins leading the Vikings. In that case, our score prediction for this tie is over 53.5.
NFL Pick: Minnesota Vikings -6.5 (-105)
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