NFL Football: Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings Prediction, Odds and Preview - 09/25/2022

 

Game Time: 1:00 pm ET, Sunday, August 25th, 2022

Venue:  US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Where to Watch: FOX

 

DraftKings:  Spread:  Vikings -6, 52.5 O/U

BetMGM:  Spread:  

PointsBet:  Spread:  

 

Lions: 1-1 tied for 1st and last place NFC North

Vikings: 1-1 tied for 1st and last place NFC North

Winter is coming and we will take these final warm days to watch a battle of constant rivals in the NFC North.  The Detroit Lions WON A Game!! They are now 1-1. That has been a severe rarity over the last few seasons… heck… the last decade.  They are the football version of the 90’s Los Angeles Clippers.  They normally don’t win.  The truism in sports however is that any franchise that toils long enough and keeps drafting at the top of every round of the draft… will eventually have something to show for it. People are actually getting high on the Lions.  The Minnesota Vikings are also 1-1 on the season. They lost their last game against the Philadelphia Eagles who have been buoyed by the injury to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.  The division looks wide open to the Eagles and young QB Jalen Hurts put it to the Vikings.  The Vikings have to figure out how to come back from a 24-7 loss as if it didn’t happen… and Vikings QB Kirk Cousins has to figure out how not to throw 3 interceptions… especially since Cousins should be finding WR Justin Jefferson and simply letting him do the work downfield.

The Detroit Lions beat the Washington Commanders 36-27.  It was a magical offensive explosion that has brought the Lions up to 2nd in the league in scoring… a place they have not been in… well perhaps ever?.  They also have a slew of other fine offensive numbers… The defense is junk however. They give up passing, they give up rushing, they give up points.  The biggest problem with worrying about the Lions is that they could lose any game at any moment because the defense needs MORE.  Lions QB Jared Goff is showing the form he had when he was with a Super Bowl losing Los Angeles Rams… Maybe he has something?... Maybe it is all shadows and illusions since the numbers only represent two games?...  Still if I were in the Lions front office, I would look long and hard at the roster and see if we couldn’t skim some offensive backups to sign some defensive free agents… or maybe there is somebody they could trade for now?  The writing is on the wall… this team has no defense and is 2nd in the league in scoring after two games.

The Minnesota Vikings opened the season with a great big fat win over the Green Bay Packers… They got a little ahead of themselves and quickly dropped Game 2 to the Philadelphia Eagles.  The good feelings have been brought back down to earth.  The Vikings again may see the truth.  They are led by QB Kirk Cousins who is vastly overpaid and susceptible to the occasional really bad game between the games he proves he has a really big arm.  Similar to the Lions, the Vikings have bad defensive numbers.  Dissimilar to the Lions, the Viking offensive numbers are terrible.  Where will they prove themselves against the Lions?  Or will they at all?  RB Dalvin Cook and WR Justin Jefferson are the real deal at each position… It is up to drastically underaged Head Coach Kevin O’Connell to prove he can maximize that duo.  

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DET: 1-1, 2-0 ATS, 2-0 O/U, 0-0 on the road.

MIN: 1-1, 1-1 ATS, 0-2 O/U, 1-0 at home.

 

The Detroit Lions came out of Game 2: 2nd in the league in scoring with 35.5 points per game, 6th in total yards with 405.5 per game, 19th in passing yards with 219.5 passing yards, and 3rd in rushing yards with 186 per game.

The Minnesota Vikings came out of Game 2:  25th in points per game with 15, 21st in total yards per game with 329.5 per game, 13th in passing yards per game with 235.5, and 21st in rushing yards per game with 94 per game.  The offense had a big game and a BAD game… the result is bad numbers that could change in an instant.

 

The Lions came out of Game 2 atrocious on defense: 30th in total yards given up with 425.5 per game, 28th in passing yards defense with 273.5 per game, 26th in rushing yards defense with 152 per game, and 31st in defending points with 32.5 points per game given up.

The Minnesota Vikings came out of game 2: 29th in total yards given up with 412, 30th in passing yards given up with 275, 23rd ion rushing yards given up with 137, and 6th in points per game given up with 15.5.

Our Prediction for the Sunday, September 25th game is… Vikings 35 - Lions 21

 

The bet is obviously for the Vikings.  The Vikings will get off against the Lions defense in a way that will be readily apparent.  The talking heads are picking the Lions (to get you to)... But since the Lions can not stop Jefferson or Cook… it will easily become a clinic in how the Vikings can dominate at home.  Yes the Vikings are not good on defense either… but c’mon.  The Lions have had one good game where they still gave up a bunch of points!   Bet on the Vikings and bet 2 UNITS.

 

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Detroit is 10-4 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points the last 3 seasons.

The Vikings are 3-5 as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points the last 3 seasons.

 

The Lions have 3 players listed as PROB: CB A Oruwaiye, S J Hughes, S I Melifoniwu; 6 listed as QUEST: S T Walker III, TE T Hockenson, RB D Swift, G J Jackson, C F Ragnow, DE A Hucthinson.  Obviously most of these if not all will play.  However it is important to note that the safeties are banged up whether they play or not.

The Vikings have 2 players listed as QUEST:  S H Smith, CB A Booth JR

 

Lions: QB Jared Goff… A Super Bowl team famously gave up on this guy… but they also famously gave up 3 first round picks to get him in the draft.  Maybe Goff has put his head together with his arm talent?

Vikings:  WR Justin Jefferson.  Justin has all the talent to be a Michael Irvin… big catches and taking the hit to the defensive player.  Hopefully the Vikings will target him more than not.

Lions:  QB Jared Goff, RB D’Andre Swift, WR DJ Chark JR, WR Josh Reynolds, WR Amon-St Brown, TE TJ Hockenson, LT Taylor Decker, LG Dan Skipper, C Evan Brown, RG Logan Steberg, RT Penei Sewell

Vikings: QB Kirk Cousins, RB Dalvin Cook, WR KJ Osborn, WR Justin Jefferson, WR Adam Theilen, TE Johnny Mundt, LT Christain Darrisaw, LG Ezra Cleveland, C Garrett Bradbury, RG Ed Ingram, RT Brian O’Neill

 

Lions: Dan “chug chug chug” Campbell

Vikings: Kevin “Sure, you can see my ID”  O’Connell

 

Cloudy, Humidity 47%, Wind 21 MPH.  Big winds are coming into this 69* day… Good thing Minnesota has a DOME… Let all the other owners know that there is a solution to unwatchable football!!!!