Get ready NFC North fans! A battle between the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings will take place in the North Star State in what should be an entertaining battle! Join us for our NFL odds series, where our Lions-Vikings prediction and pick will be made.
Coming into Week 3 with an even record at 1-1. the Lions were able to avenge a difficult opening season loss by catching the Washington Commanders off guard in a 36-27 win. While it was certainly a surprising victory from a Detroit squad that only was able to generate three wins all season long. Now, with a chance to officially put the rest of the league on notice with a convincing outing versus their division rivals in the Vikings.
At first glance, Minnesota could not have gotten off to a better start to the 2022 season, as they put the Packers in their place with an impressive 16-point victory. However, the solid Week 1 showing may have been all for not as QB Kirk Cousins' prime-time struggles continued on Monday Night Football against the Eagles in which he threw three interceptions. Clearly, the Vikings appeared to be sluggish and sloppy which is not a formula for success no matter what team you play.
Here are the Lions-Vikings NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Lions-Vikings Odds
Detroit Lions: +6 (-110)
Minnesota Vikings: -6 (-110)
Over: 52.5 (-110)
Under: 52.5 (-110)
Why The Lions Could Cover The Spread
If there is one thing that the Lions have excelled at through the first two weeks of the NFL season, it has been putting up points on the scoreboard. In eight quarters of football played, Detroit has stormed out of the gates for 71 points and is moving the ball at will in Dan Campbell's second season as head coach in the Motor City. Not to mention, but the Lions are pounding the rock down their opponent's throats as they are averaging 186 rushing yards per game thus far. Even with QB Jared Goff's ability this season to be a threat down the field vertically, the Lions must continue to feed the rock to their talented running backs who will be in good hands with the offensive line creating running lanes on almost every play.
If there is one concern so far for this Lions squad, it is that the defense has struggled to keep pace with how well the offense has been performing. Despite the offense lighting up the scoreboard, the defense has surrendered 65 points thru two games and is second-to-last in the league in points against at 32.5. Without a doubt, the Lions defensively will need to stick their foot in the ground and make some plays whether it's generating a pass rush or coming up with some turnovers if they want to cover the spread in Minneapolis.
After a monster performance a week ago, be on the lookout for WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, who erupted for nine catches for 116 yards and a pair of touchdowns. With his dynamic speed and a strong sense to pinpoint the ball in the air, St. Brown can change the tide of a game in a blink of an eye.
Why The Vikings Could Cover The Spread
Well, well well… if we haven't seen this story before. Just when the Vikings seem to be a legitimate playoff threat in the NFC, they ended up falling short on the biggest stage with all eyes watching. Simply put, Minnesota needs to put in the work to move on from Monday night's disappointing effort in order to get back on track.
For starters, the Vikings have to have more consistent quarterback play from Kirk Cousins. The veteran signal-caller could not have looked more different between Week 1 and Week 2, as Cousins has often hasn't been able to take that next step as an elite quarterback due to his inconsistency. Since no one is quite sure which version of Cousins will show up on Sunday, Minnesota will need to rely on a strong running game and a stingy defense to secure a spread-covering win.
Against the Eagles, star running back Dalvin Cook was limited to only six carries for 17 yards and could not get in a rhythm. Without a doubt, the Vikings need to give Cook the rock early and often in order to set up the play-action which will make life easier for Cousins and the rest of the offense.
Defensively, the Vikings were also vastly inconsistent and did not look like the same unit between their first two games. The good news? Minnesota is still only allowing 15.5 points per game and has the makings to make the Lions suffer on Sunday.
Final Lions-Vikings Prediction & Pick
Even though it's only the third week of the season, this game between two division rivals will prove to be critical as each side tries to bolster their positioning within the NFC North. When the dust settles on this showdown, it will be the Vikings' defense that will stifle the Lions' scorching-hot offense as Cousins will do just enough offensively to help Minnesota cover the spread.
Final Lions-Vikings Prediction & Pick: Vikings -6 (-110)
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