The Minnesota Vikings will be trying to increase their lead in the NFC North when they travel to the Motor City to take on the Detroit Lions in the first game on Thanksgiving. The game will be played at Ford Field and is scheduled to begin at 12:30 PM ET.
Vikings vs Lions Odds
Point Spread and Over/Under
- Vikings -3
- Lions +3
- Over/Under 44.5
My Pick
Minnesota Vikings Analysis…
The Vikings are coming off a big win over the Los Angeles Rams, and are now tied with the New Orleans Saints for the second best record in the NFC.
Despite the injuries the team has suffered at key positions, the Vikings keep finding ways to win and will be a dangerous opponent in the playoffs if they have home field advantage.
Against the Rams, the Vikings ran for 171 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries, and Case Keenum continued his stellar play, throwing for 280 yards and one touchdown. If he continues playing well, the Vikings will have a tough decision to make during the offseason.
Even though the offense got most of the accolade for the win, their defense has been one of the best in the league this year and they showed why against the Rams.
The Vikings shut down Todd Gurley, holding him to 37 yards on 15 carries. Without a running game, Jared Goff was forced to try and do it all himself but couldn’t find the end zone, finishing with 225 yards.
If the Vikings defense plays as well against the Lions, they should be able to leave Detroit with the win on Thursday.
Detroit Lions Analysis…
The Lions bounced back from a three-game losing streak with a three-game winning streak and look to be back on track for the playoffs.
On Sunday, they were able to hold off the Chicago Bears to get their sixth win of the season, but they will need a better performance to get the win this week.
The Lions already beat the Vikings on the road this season and will be going into this game with a lot of confidence, but the win came earlier in the season, before the Vikings won six straight games.
With a non-existent running game, Matthew Stafford will be forced to take matters into his own hands once again, but he will need to take good care of the ball against an opportunistic Vikings defense that will make him pay for any mistakes.
Detroit’s defense has also been shaky recently, and will need to be much better to give their offense a chance to win the game.
Final word…
I expect the Vikings to shut down the Lions run game, which can allow them to put Stafford in some tough spots. He has the ability to pull out some big plays, but I think it’s more likely that the Vikings defense stifles the pass game as well and keeps the Lions offense off the field for much of the game.
Play: Vikings -3
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