The Minnesota Vikings (7-7) will be in a must-win position when they face the Detroit Lions (10-4) on Sunday afternoon. Minnesota has lost three of its last four games, falling three games back of Detroit atop the NFC North standings. The Vikings are currently occupying one of the NFC Wild Card spots, but a loss would likely knock them out of the current playoff picture. Meanwhile, Detroit can clinch its first division title since 1993 following a blowout win over Denver last week.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Lions are favored by 3 points in the latest Vikings vs. Lions odds, while the over/under is 47.5 points via SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Lions vs. Vikings picks, you'll want to see the NFL predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 16 of the 2023 NFL season on an incredible 178-129 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. It is also on a 32-21 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of last season.
The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94% of CBS Sports Football Pick'em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
The model has set its sights on Detroit vs. Minnesota. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NFL betting lines for the game:
- Vikings vs. Lions spread: Lions -3
- Vikings vs. Lions over/under: 47.5 points
- Vikings vs. Lions money line: Lions -153, Vikings +128
- Vikings vs. Lions picks: See picks here
- Vikings vs. Lions live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why the Vikings can cover
Minnesota is coming off an overtime loss to Cincinnati, but it is still very much in the playoff hunt. The Vikings are currently occupying the No. 6 seed in the NFC, holding the tiebreaker over Los Angeles, Seattle and New Orleans heading into Week 16. Quarterback Nick Mullens completed 26 of 33 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to the Bengals last week, becoming the fourth quarterback to start for Minnesota this season.
Star wide receiver Justin Jefferson had seven receptions for 84 yards in his first full game since returning from a hamstring injury, while Jordan Addison had six catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Backup running back Ty Chandler racked up a career-high 132 rushing yards and a score, making the start in place of Alexander Mattison (ankle). The Vikings have won five straight home games against Detroit, and they have covered the spread in six of their last seven games against NFC opponents.
Why the Lions can cover
Detroit has covered the spread in five straight games against Minnesota, and it has been the much better team this season. The Lions are coming off a 42-17 win over the Broncos, as quarterback Jared Goff completed 24 of 34 passes for 278 yards and five touchdowns. Tight end Sam LaPorta continued his impressive campaign with five catches for 56 yards and three touchdowns, while wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had seven receptions for 112 yards and a score.
The Lions are positioned to win their first division title since 1993, and they are 11-3 against the spread in their last 14 games against NFC North teams. Minnesota has rotated through four quarterbacks this season, with Nick Mullens throwing two interceptions in his first start last week. The Vikings have only covered the spread once in their last four games, and they are facing a Detroit offense that ranks third in the NFL in yards per game (394.4). See which team to pick here.
How to make Vikings vs. Lions picks
The model has simulated Lions vs. Vikings 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it also says one side of the spread is the better value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Vikings vs. Lions, and which side of the spread is the better value? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the Lions vs. Vikings spread you should be all over Sunday, all from the model on a 178-129 roll on its top-rated NFL picks, and find out.
