Vikings vs. Lions Total Pick
Can the Detroit Lions find a way to move the ball on the impressive Minnesota Vikings defense when the two meet up on Thanksgiving Day at 12:30PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Minnesota is favored on the road in this game, as the Vikings are getting odds of -3 points against the Lions. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 44.5 points. Detroit has won three straight meetings with the Vikings, including a 14-7 win at Minnesota back on Oct. 1. These two have hit the under in seven of their last eight meetings. The public betting in this one has the Lions getting 69 percent of the wagers at home. Thursday’s game takes place at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The game will air live on FOX.
Since losing to the Lions on Oct. 1, Minnesota has won six straight to get to 8-2 on the season. The Vikings are 5-5 with the over/under total and they have hit the over in three of their last four. Minnesota remains one of the top defenses in the league, allowing just 17.2 points and 310.6 yards per game. Everson Griffen is leading the unit with 10 sacks and 31 tackles. The Minnesota offense is putting up 24.1 points and 380.9 yards per game thanks to the strong play of Case Keenum. He has thrown for 2,194 yards and 12 touchdowns this season with five interceptions. He has been sacked just five times. Adam Thielen is the leading receiver with 62 catches for 916 yards and three scores.
Detroit is coming off a 27-24 win at Chicago for its third straight victory to improve to 6-4 on the season. The Lions are 7-3 with the over this season, hitting it in their last three contests. Detroit is averaging 27.1 points and 356.8 yards per game on offense this season. Their run game is still struggling, posting just 80.8 yards per game. Matthew Stafford has thrown for 2,760 yards and 19 touchdowns with five interceptions, but also has been sacked 33 times. Golden Tate is his top target, as he has 59 catches for 691 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, Detroit is allowing 23.4 points and 368.1 yards per game. Their run defense has struggled in recent weeks, allowing over 200 yards in their last two games. The loss of Haloti Ngata has clearly hurt their ability to stuff the middle.
The Vikings are dominating right now, as they are playing excellent on both sides of the ball. Minnesota should be able to run the ball very effectively against the Lions on Thursday, which will also open the passing game. The Lions are likely to start slow, but they are a team that can rack up points when from behind. The Lions have hit the over in their last three for a lot of these reasons. I think it will hit again Thursday in Detroit.
NFL WEEK 12 PREDICTION: VIKINGS/LIONS OVER 44.5