Vikings vs. Lions Odds
DETROIT, MI (The Spread) – Two NFC North rivals meet up on Sunday as the Detroit Lions host the Minnesota Vikings at 1PM ET on FOX.
Minnesota went 10-6 last season and was 8-7-1 against the spread while hitting the under 9 times. Detroit was just 4-12 last season while going 5-10-1 against the spread and hitting the over 10 times.
Trends show that the Vikings have covered the spread in 3 of their last 4 meetings with eh Lions and these two teams have hit the under in 7 of their last 10 meetings overall and in 5 of their last 6 meetings in Detroit.
According to oddsmakers from Bovada.lv, Detroit is the favorite at home, as the Lions have a point spread of -5 against the Vikings on Sunday. The over/under total for the game has been set at 46.5 points (View Matchup). The opening odds for this game had Detroit favored by 3 points. The spread jumped up to a high of 7 points before moving back to Detroit -5. The over/under total for the game opened at 47 points before falling back to 46.5.
Detroit had the second-best passing attack in the NFL last season, but it didn’t result in a lot of points, as the Lions averaged just 23.3 points per game. The issue was the running game, which ranked 23rd in the NFL. The Lions attempted to replace that by adding Reggie Bush to the offense. Matthew Stafford is back for another season under center and he has Calvin Johnson to throw to. Johnson set a new NFL record for receiving yards last season, catching 122 passes for 1,964 yards. Detroit will need to improve on its defense, as it allowed 27.3 points and 341.1 yards per game last season.
Minnesota was able to get back into the playoffs last season due to the impressive performance by running back Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns. Peterson has high expectations to repeat that performance, but the Vikings will likely need an improved showing from quarterback Christian Ponder, as Peterson may not be able to repeat this outing. The Minnesota defense allowed just 21.8 points and 350 yards per game. The Vikings’ defense kept it in most games last year and can do the same this season.
In terms of Injuries, Detroit running back Montell Owens is out with a knee injury. Minnesota defensive tackle Kevin Williams is questionable with a knee injury.
The Public Bets for this game are currently backing Detroit, as the Lions are getting 56% of the wagers with a point spread of -5 against Minnesota.
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