The Minnesota Vikings are about to play their first game outside of the state of Minnesota since they beat the Buffalo Bills 33-30 on Sunday, November 13th. While they are playing outside of the state, they still get to play indoors and won’t play outside until January 1st when they take on the Green Bay Packers.
Sunday is the first of three NFC North road games the Vikings will play before seasons end. The Lions have won four of their last five games and are playing really good football. Jared Goff has only thrown one interception compared to seven touchdowns over that span.
We teamed up with Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire to give our predictions for the game on Sunday.
Tyler Forness-Vikings Wire Managing Editor
The Vikings are in an interesting spot. They are the first team with an .800 winning percentage or higher since 2004 to be an underdog when the Atlanta Falcons were against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The defensive coordinator for the Falcons in that game? Ed Donatell.
Vikings (10-2) would be near-historic underdogs at Lions (5-7)
9 instances in Super Bowl era when a team w/ .800 winning % was underdog to a losing team in Dec/Jan
8 of 9 were teams resting starters in Week 16/17
Other: 2004 Falcons (9-2) vs. Tampa Bay (4-7)
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) December 8, 2022
These are the two worst total defenses in the National Football League and with the line sitting at either 51.5 or 52 depending on what sportsbook you are using. This is primed to be a really good football game. Both teams are playing their best football right now and it feels like a high-scoring game with both teams ranking as the worst two in total defense in the National Football League.
Along with that, this isn’t your standard black-and-blue division game because this looks like a shootout. This will bring back memories of the 1995 Thanksgiving Day clash at the Pontiac Silverdome where the Lions won 44-38, except the Vikings figure out a way to win this one.
Prediction: Vikings 38, Lions 34
Judd Zulgad-Vikings Wire Columnist
Record: 9-2
This is an easy sell for Kevin O’Connell, considering the Vikings barely snuck by the Lions earlier this season at U.S. Bank Stadium and Detroit is favored in this game. It will be only fitting if the Vikings win another game with a late score.
Prediction: Vikings 24, Lions 17
Jeff Risdon-Lions Wire Managing Editor
I think we’re going to see a lot of points and it’s because of two really good offenses that can be effective in both the run and pass game. And these two always play close games; the last four meetings have been decided by a total of 10 points. I expect Sunday to come down to a final field goal or a late fourth-down conversion. I do think the Vikings great fortune in those types of games will regress back to the mean at some point, but they get the slight benefit of the doubt even in Detroit and despite the oddsmakers giving Detroit the edge.
Prediction: Vikings 29, Lions 27
