Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings Prediction, 12/24/2023 NFL Picks, Best Bets & Odds Week 16

Game: Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings

Date: Sunday, December 24, 2023

Location: U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN

TV: FOX

Odds/Point Spread: Vikings (+4)

Total/Over-Under: 46

The Detroit Lions (10-4) are hitting the road to U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday where they will go up against the Minnesota Vikings (7-7). Detroit opens as 4-point favorites from Vegas oddsmakers. The total has been set at 46.

The Detroit Lions come into this matchup with a record of 10-4 this year. In their last game, the Lions faced the Broncos and notched a win by a score of 42-17. Jahmyr Gibbs was the leader on the ground for the Lions with 11 totes for 100 yds (9.1 yds per attempt). Amon-Ra St. Brown left with an average of 16.0 yds per catch by accumulating 112 yds on 7 catches. Jared Goff connected on 24/34 with 278 yds passing and 5 touchdowns. He had a quarterback rate of 134.6 and walked away from the game without throwing a pick. In the running game, the Lions gave up 83 yards on 28 tries, which calculates to 3.0 yards per rush surrendered. Detroit allowed 18 completions on 32 attempts for 204 yards, and a completion rate of 56.3%. When all was said and done, they had 64 plays which converted into 448 yds. The Detroit Lions ended up rushing 28 different times and accrued 185 yds, which is an average of 6.6 yards per tote.

The Lions have tallied 5,522 total yards for the year. Detroit has amassed 185 first downs offensively, and they have committed 78 penalties for 736 yards. When it comes to distribution of touchdowns, Detroit has compiled 26 passing touchdowns and 21 rushing touchdowns. They have surrendered the football 20 times (10 interceptions and 10 fumbles). Offensively they maintain an average of 140.9 yards on the ground giving them a rank of 2nd in the league. Concerning putting the ball in the endzone, the Detroit Lions are averaging 27.3 points per contest.

The Lions are ranked 23rd in the National Football League regarding team defense, giving up 23.6 PPG. They are giving up 3.8 yards per rush on the ground and 95.9 rushing yards per game this season. In total, they have allowed 1,342 yards via the ground game in 14 contests. Concerning passing yards, the Lions have allowed 3,150 yards which ranks them 18th in the league. They are giving up 225.0 yards per contest via the pass in addition to allowing a completion percentage of 62.3%. For the season, they are granting 320.9 yards per contest which has them ranked 15th in the National Football League.

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The Vikings head into this matchup 7-7 for this season. When they last stepped on the football field, the Vikings took a defeat with a final score of 27-24 against the Bengals. Nick Mullens (2 touchdowns) walked away from the contest with 303 yards on 26/33 passing while his QB rating was 99.9. He threw 2 interceptions and his average yards per pass attempt was 9.2 yds. Ty Chandler ran the football 23 times for 132 yards, ending the contest with 5.7 yards per carry for Minnesota. Jordan Addison was featured in the passing game for the Vikings, catching 6 footballs for 111 yards (18.5 yds per catch). Minnesota ended up running for 4.8 yds per attempt, totaling 143 yds on 30 attempts. The Vikings finished with a total of 424 yds and they ran 67 plays (6.3 yards per play). The Vikings secondary gave up a completion rate of 69.0%, surrendering 298 yds on 29 for 42 passing. Minnesota surrendered 22 rushing attempts for 80 yds (3.6 yards per carry).

The Minnesota Vikings have an average of 347.4 yards per outing which is good for 11th in football. They are averaging 98.6 rushing yards per game and have run for 1,380 yards in total. They have thrown 12 interceptions while surrendering 14 fumbles and they have been able to tally 180 first downs. The Minnesota offense has 502 yds of penalties on 67 infractions, which has them ranked 31st in the NFL in terms of helping out the opposition. During the season thus far, the Vikings currently sit at 3,483 yards via the pass along with an average of 248.8 passing yards per game, which ranks 7th in football. When looking at how much they score, the Vikings currently sit 21st in football scoring 20.7 PPG.

They have given up 17 touchdowns through the air and 224.0 yards/game, which puts them in 17th in the NFL. Minnesota has surrendered a total of 1,288 yards on the ground (92.0 yards per outing) and 8 touchdowns by way of the ground game this season. This season, they have allowed 269 points in total. They have compiled 20 turnovers (9 fumbles and 11 picks) on the campaign. The Vikings defense has taken part in 889 plays, which is good for 14th in football. The Vikings are conceding 19.2 points per game, which has them ranked 7th in the league.

Who will win tonight's Lions/Vikings NFL game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Lions -4

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