The Detroit Lions (5-7) play the Minnesota Vikings (10-2) at Ford Field on 11th December in Week 14 of the NFL. Exactly five wins lie between the teams ahead of this NFC North matchup. The Minnesota Vikings boast the better record out of the two, winning ten out of a possible 12 to go first in the division.
The Detroit Lions follow up in second place, with five wins to their account. Now we’re over the halfway point of the regular season, every game counts more than ever. There is simply no more room for error.
With this in mind, along with everything else that is at stake, we’re expecting the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings to put out all the stops for a much-needed victory.
Detroit Lions VS Minnesota Vikings Betting lines
Detroit Lions VS Minnesota Vikings Betting expert picks
Detroit Lions VS Minnesota Vikings Moneyline
Take the Minnesota Vikings (-116) for the outright win on the moneyline. The Detroit Lions have struggled to get results against the away team in recent years, and while the home-field advantage is on their side at the Ford Field, that may not be enough.
Instead, we like the look of the Minnesota Vikings continuing their dominance in this series, having won four of their last five matchups against the Detroit Lions.
Detroit Lions VS Minnesota Vikings Spread
The Minnesota Vikings (-104) open as the 1.0-point road favorites over the Detroit Lions. Given how closely the oddsmakers have placed the spread, we could be in for a real even-stevens encounter here. In the last 25 matchups in this series, the average points margin between these two sides was 7.9 points.
Having covered the spread in their last three home matches, the Detroit Lions look like a sound choice to pull it off again at the Ford Field. The hosts are also 5-3 ATS in the past eight games at home and 6-4 ATS overall from their previous ten games.
That said, the past five visits to the Ford Field have gone rather well for the Minnesota Vikings, having bagged four wins by an average winning margin of 9.8 points. For covering the spread, the Minnesota Vikings have managed to string together a fine record. They have covered the spread in their last two matchups, going 7-2 ATS in their last nine matchups in all.
Detroit Lions VS Minnesota Vikings Total
The last 25 head-to-head games between and Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings failed to pass the 45 point mark, averaging 42.88 points in total.
Take the Under (-110) for this latest matchup between the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings. The total has gone over in eight of the past 25 times that these teams have locked horns, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see it fail to go over again on Sunday.
The total has averaged 50.3 points in the Detroit Lions’ ten most recent games, as well as 56.4 points in their last five at home. Interestedly, the total has gone under in five of the Detroit Lions’ past nine matchups against teams from the NFC North.
As for the Minnesota Vikings, the average total has been 50.7 points in the away team’s past ten matches and 44.8 points in the last five on the road. Interestedly, the Minnesota Vikings have seen the total go over in each of their last nine matchups.
Detroit Lions VS Minnesota Vikings Betting trends
- Detroit Lions have covered the spread in their last five games.
NFL Power Rankings Week 14 2022, Detroit Lions VS Minnesota Vikings
Detroit Lions Form
The Detroit Lions are on a bit of a hot streak in the NFC North, winning four of their last five divisional matchups to be exact. They enter this latest clash on the back of a 40-14 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
A strong offense has been a highlight for the Detroit Lions this season. The unit ranks sixth in the NFL’s offensive ladder with 26.3 points per game and has put up 28.4 points in the last five matches alone.
The defense, however, has been nothing to brag about this season. In 12 games, the Detroit Lions have surrendered a poor 27.0 points on average, leaving them rooted to the bottom end of the league’s defensive rankings.
2021 was a year to forget for the Detroit Lions. The hosts failed to reach the playoffs, having finished fourth in the NFC North at 3-13, and are expected to miss the NFL postseason again, having gone 5-7 so far in the current campaign.
Minnesota Vikings Form
The Minnesota Vikings have grabbed an impressive nine wins from their ten most recent matchups. The away side’s most recent game ended in a 27-22 triumph over the New York Jets.
The Minnesota Vikings will bring a middle-of-the-park offense for their latest game on the road, having scored 24.1 points per game this season. On the other side of the ball, the defense has been relatively average in the league recently.
The visitors have given up 27.0 points in the previous five outings, which is more than the 23.3 points they’ve allowed per game over the course of the regular season.
The Minnesota Vikings are touted as a potential Super Bowl challenger for this season. While it’s still early days, things are going according to plan so far. The visitors hold the second seed in the NFC Conference, leaving them set for a spot in the January playoffs. Until then, the aim will be to strengthen their position by either maintaining or improving their current seeding.
Detroit Lions VS Minnesota Vikings H2H history
The previous matchup between these two franchises ended in a 28-24 win for the Minnesota Vikings at the US Bank Stadium in September 2022. The total has gone under 52.5 points in 17 of the last 25 meetings between these teams. The Detroit Lions came out on top ten times in these games, while the Minnesota Vikings won 15 times.
One key problem the Minnesota Vikings have struggled to fix in this series is how their defense has often floundered against the Detroit Lions offense, having allowed 29 points on average in the last five matchups alone.