Lions vs. Vikings Pick
The Minnesota Vikings return home looking to get back on track when they host the Detroit Lions on Sunday at 1PM ET?
According to the oddsmakers at BetDSI, Minnesota is favored at home in this game, as the Vikings are getting odds of -6 points against the Lions. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 41 points. Minnesota has won two straight over the Lions and the Vikings are 7-2 against the spread in the last nine games of this series.
Minnesota started the year 5-0, but the Vikings have dropped back-to-back games on the road to the Eagles and the Bears. The concern for Minnesota has come on offense, especially the offensive line. The team lost tackle Matt Kalil for the season and haven’t been able to protect Sam Bradford this season. He has been sacked 19 times on the year and the offense is now averaging just 19.9 points and 311.6 yards per contest. The run game has just 503 yards through seven games and Bradford has only passed for 1,442 yards and eight touchdowns. The offense also lost OC Norv Turner this week, who stepped away from the team. Defensively, Minnesota is about as good as it gets. The Vikings are holding opponents to just 14.9 points and 318.9 yards per contest. They have 20 sacks as a team and have created 16 turnovers.
Detroit is coming off a 20-13 loss at Houston last week to snap a three-game winning streak. The Lions are now 4-4 on the season and 4-4 with the over/under total. Detroit, like Minnesota, has dealt with its fair share of injuries this week. The defense has DT Haloti Ngata (shoulder) CB Darius Slay (hamstring) and DE Ezekiel Ansah (ankle) all listed as questionable to play on Sunday. The Lions are giving up 23.8 points and 382.6 yards per game this season on defense. Despite the injuries, the unit still has 18 sacks this season, which could continue against Minnesota. Offensively, Detroit is averaging 22.9 points and 354.8 yards per game. The offense is expected to get leading rusher Theo Riddick back. He has missed the past few games with an ankle injury. He has 227 rushing yards and 267 receiving yards. Matthew Stafford has led the offense by throwing for 2,154 yards and 16 touchdowns this season.
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Minnesota is struggling on offense right now, but the Lions are an unproven team on the road. The Vikings defense should create problems for Detroit and the Lions defense is still likely to give up some big plays. Returning home should help the Vikings get back on track, especially against a team that struggles to win on the road.
NFL WEEK 9 PICK: MINNESOTA VIKINGS -6
