Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions Prediction, 1/7/2024 NFL Picks, Best Bets & Odds Week 18

Game: Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions

Date: Sunday, January 7, 2024

Location: Ford Field in Detroit, MI

TV: FOX

Odds/Point Spread: Lions (-5)

Total/Over-Under: 46

The Minnesota Vikings (7-9) are traveling to Ford Field on Sunday where they will go up against the Detroit Lions (11-5). Detroit is 5-point favorites. The total is set at 46.

The Minnesota Vikings step onto the field holding a record of 7-9 this season. In their last contest, the Vikings went up against the Packers and ended up losing by a score of 33-10. Nick Mullens went 13/22 with 113 yds through the air and 1 touchdown. He had a quarterback rating of 87.9 and ended the game without throwing an interception. Justin Jefferson held an average of 11.8 yds per catch by notching 59 yards on 5 catches. Ty Chandler led the offense in rushing for the Vikings with 10 totes for 40 yds (4.0 yds per attempt). In the game, they had 52 plays which totaled 211 yards. The Minnesota Vikings ran the rock 16 different times and totaled 67 yards, earning them an average of 4.2 yds per attempt. In the running game, the Vikings gave up 177 yds on 39 attempts, which is an average of 4.5 yds per run surrendered. Minnesota conceded 25 pass completions on 34 attempts for a total of 293 yards, and a completion percentage of 73.5%.

Regarding putting the ball in the endzone, the Minnesota Vikings are averaging 20.3 PPG. Offensively they're maintaining an average of 91.5 yards rushing which ranks them 27th in the National Football League. The Vikings have earned 5,464 total yards this season. Minnesota has accumulated 205 first downs offensively, and they have committed 81 infractions for 593 yds. They have turned the ball over 32 different times (17 interceptions and 15 fumbles lost). When it comes to distribution of touchdowns, Minnesota has earned 28 touchdowns via the pass and 7 rushing touchdowns.

When talking about passing yards, the Vikings have surrendered 3,675 yards which has them sitting in 18th in the NFL. They are allowing 229.7 yards per outing through the air as well as giving up a completion percentage of 70.2%. In total, they are giving up 330.2 yards/contest which ranks them 16th in football. The opposition is running for 3.8 yards per rushing attempt and 100.5 rushing yards per contest for the year. Overall, they have allowed 1,608 running yards through 16 outings. The Vikings sit in 12th in the league regarding team defense, giving up 20.8 PPG.

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The Lions step onto the field holding a record of 11-5 for this season. The last time they stepped on the gridiron, the Lions went home defeated by a final of 20-19 against the Cowboys. Jared Goff (1 TD) finished the game with 271 yards on 19/34 passing while his QB rate was 67.2. He threw 2 picks and his average yds per pass attempt was 8.0 yds. David Montgomery ran the football 14 times for 65 yds, finishing the game with 4.6 yds per carry for Detroit. Amon-Ra St. Brown had the best day in terms of receiving for the Lions, catching 6 balls for 90 yds (15.0 yds per catch). Detroit rushed for 4.0 yards per attempt, finishing with a total of 125 yards on 31 attempts. The Lions finished the game with a total of 420 yards and they ran 67 plays (6.3 yds per play). The Lions pass defense conceded a completion percentage of 68.4%, surrendering 323 yds on 26 for 38 through the air. Detroit surrendered 21 attempts on the ground for 61 yards (2.9 yds per carry).

When it comes to their ability to score points, the Lions are 5th in football averaging 26.9 points per game. Over the course of the season thus far, the Lions have compiled 4,090 passing yards in addition to an average of 255.6 passing yards per game, giving them a rank of 3rd out of all NFL teams. They are averaging 140.1 yards per game via the rush and have run for 2,241 yards in total. The Detroit Lions average 395.7 yards per game ranking them 3rd in the league. The Detroit offense has racked up 823 yds of penalties on 93 infractions, which has them ranked 17th in the NFL in terms of helping out the opposition. They have thrown 12 interceptions while letting opponents recover 11 fumbles and they have been able to obtain 215 1st downs.

The Lions are relinquishing 23.4 PPG, which has them sitting 23rd in football. They have allowed the opposition 26 touchdowns from the passing game in addition to 240.4 yards/contest, which has them sitting 26th in the NFL. Detroit has surrendered a total of 1,420 yards on the ground (88.8 yards per game) as well as 15 touchdowns on the ground this season. The Lions defense has taken part in 967 plays, which is good for 6th in football. Their defense has totaled 21 takeaways (7 fumbles recovered and 14 interceptions) so far this year. In total, they have allowed 375 total points.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Vikings +5

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