by Rod Pearson
Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024
Game Time: 1:00 pm ET, Sunday, October 20, 2024
Venue: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
Where to Watch: FOX
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Lions +2.5, Vikings -2.5; Over/Under: 50 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Lions +2.5, Vikings -2.5; Over/Under: 49.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Lions +2.5, Vikings -2.5; Over/Under: 49.5 points
Season Record
Detroit Lions: 4-1 (2nd place, NFC North)
Minnesota Vikings: 5-0 (1st place, NFC North)
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Detroit Lions: won their last game on the road against the Dallas Cowboys 47-9.
Minnesota Vikings: won their last game at a neutral site against the New York Jets 23-17.
Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings Preview and Analysis
The Lions are entering this game with a 4-1 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their divisional games too. They are 2-1 in their home games, 2-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against the Dallas Cowboys 47-9. Jared Goff was the starting QB and he completed 18/25 passes for 315 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. David Montgomery led the team in rushing yards with 80 and 2 TDs. Jameson Williams led the receivers with 76 receiving yards on 3 receptions and 1 TD. Amik Robertson led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Alim McNeill led the defense in sacks with 2. Brian Branch led the defense with 2 interceptions while Kerby Joseph came away with 1 interception for them in that one.
The Vikings are entering this game with a 5-0 record overall and they have a 1-0 record in their divisional games too. They are 2-0 in their home games, 2-0 in their road games, and they are also 1-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against the New York Jets 23-17. Sam Darnold was the starting QB and he completed 14/31 passes for 179 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Ty Chandler led the team in rushing yards with 30. Justin Jefferson led the receivers with 92 receiving yards on 6 receptions. Harrison Smith and Stephon Gilmore each led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 1 assisted tackle while Harrison Smith, Ivan Pace Jr., and Harrison Phillips each led the defense in sacks with 1. Stephon Gilmore, Camryn Bynum, and Andrew Van Ginkel each came away with 1 interception for them in that one.
Lions vs Vikings Prediction
The current betting odds have the Vikings listed as a 2.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Vikings have looked great in their games this season with their 5-0 record overall which is only 1 of 2 teams left in the NFL who are undefeated this season. They played their last game in London and beat the Jets, but they are coming out of their bye week and have had extra time to prepare for this divisional game at home. Meanwhile, the Lions have also looked good in their games this season with their 4-1 record overall and they are coming off a monster win in their last one. They came out of their bye week and blew the Cowboys out 47-9 in their own house. Now they will be on the road against the Vikings here, but the Vikings have been really good on defense all season. The Vikings haven't given up a ton of points in their games so it isn't going to be easy for this Lions offense in this hostile environment. Sam Darnold is also on a revenge tour, playing with a chip on his shoulder in every game, so don't expect him to come out of the bye week with a flat performance. The Vikings have the extra week to prepare and the home advantage so the edge is with them to win this important division game at home. The best way to place a bet here is on the Vikings to cover the spread in this game.
Lions Vikings Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Sunday, October 20, 2024 (1:00 pm ET start time) is Vikings 34 Lions 31.
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NFL Betting Trends
Detroit Lions: 30-12 ATS in all games. 15-5 ATS in road games. 14-5 ATS after scoring 30 points or more last game. 7-0 ATS vs. good offensive teams - scoring 24 or more points/game. 16-6 OVER in dome games. 8-4 OVER versus division opponents. 7-1 OVER vs. poor passing defenses - allowing 235 or more passing yards/game.
Minnesota Vikings: 0-5 ATS in all games where the total is greater than or equal to 49.5. 6-14 ATS in dome games. 4-8 ATS versus good rushing teams - averaging 130 rushing yards/game or more. 8-3 OVER as a home favorite. 13-7 OVER in dome games. 10-4 OVER when playing against a team with a winning record.
Key Injuries
Detroit Lions: K. Joseph (SAF) Injured - Hamstring. F. Ragnow (C) Injured - Pectoral. B. Branch (DB) Injured - Illness. C. Mahogany (OL) Out - Illness.
Minnesota Vikings: None.
Notable Quotes
“I thought we really played the most complete game we’ve probably played here in a long time, if not the most since we’ve been here. We applied pressure, we finally got a multiple takeaway game. We’ve talked about it. These things will come in bunches.” - Dan Campbell after his team’s win against the Cowboys in their last game.
“We definitely left yards, points out there. We definitely need to fix some things.” - Justin Jefferson after their win against the Jets in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Detroit Lions
WR Patrick, Tim
WR Williams, Jameson
WR St. Brown, Amon-Ra
TE LaPorta, Sam
QB Goff, Jared
RB Gibbs, Jahmyr
Minnesota Vikings
WR Jefferson, Justin
WR Nailor, Jalen
WR Addison, Jordan
TE Mundt, Johnny
QB Darnold, Sam
RB Chandler, Ty
FB Ham, C.J.
Statistical Leaders
Detroit Lions
Passing: J. Goff (1330)
Rushing: D. Montgomery (351)
Receiving: J. Williams (365)
Touchdowns: D. Montgomery (6)
Minnesota Vikings
Passing: S. Darnold (1111)
Rushing: A. Jones (350)
Receiving: J. Jefferson (450)
Touchdowns: J. Jefferson (4)
Coaches:
Detroit Lions: Dan Campbell (4th season)
Minnesota Vikings: Kevin O'Connell (3rd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
