DETROIT LIONS VS. MINNESOTA VIKINGS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — January 5, 2025

DETROIT LIONS VS. MINNESOTA VIKINGS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — January 5, 2025 — Greetings, football fans. Welcome back to our NFL coverage here at Godzilla Wins. One of the games on tap from Sunday’s slate features the Detroit Lions (14-2 SU, 11-5 ATS) hosting the Minnesota Vikings (14-2 SU, 11-4-1 ATS) in a game with playoff implications for both teams. The winner gets the division crown, the top seed in the conference, and a bye-week. On the other hand, the loser will begin its playoff run on the road as a wildcard team.

Here is a look at which squad has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Kickoff

When: Sunday, January 5, 2025 @ 8:20 PM ET

Where: Ford Field, Detroit, MI

TV: NBC

Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings — In-Season Stats & Betting Trends

Can Detroit’s Banged-Up Defense Hold Up Against The Surging Vikings?

The Lions enter this contest riding a two-game winning streak, including a 40-34 victory against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. Despite being eliminated from playoff contention, the Niners didn’t roll over for its opponent. In fact, Detroit did not lead in this game until late in the third quarter (31-28) on its way to a six-point victory over the team that defeated them in last season’s NFC title game. Jared Goff threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns while completing 76 percent of his passing attempts.

This marked the first time Detroit had beaten San Francisco on the road since 1975, and it also enabled the Lions to finish the regular season with a perfect road record (8-0). However, the Lions have surrendered an average of 451 yards over their past four games, which could be a cause for concern heading into the postseason. 

Vikings Look To End Season On A 10-Game Winning Streak

On the other side of the matchup, the Vikings have won nine straight games following a 5-2 start. In their Week 17 victory over the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota held a 27-10 lead heading into the final frame. But the game was far from over, as Green Bay trimmed the deficit to 27-25 late in the final frame. Fortunately, Sam Darnold picked up a few key first downs to help preserve the win for the Vikings.

He finished 33 for 43 for a career-high 377 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception. Justin Jefferson led the receiving corps with eight catches totaling 92 yards. Defensively, Minnesota allowed just 271 yards (60 below its season average) and generated three sacks. This group will need a similar effort against a Detroit team that leads the league in scoring (33.3 PPG), ranks second in yards per outing (410.5), second in passing yards per game (266.1), and has the sixth-best rushing attack (144.4 YPG).

Can Detroit cool off Minnesota, or will the Vikings notch their 10th consecutive victory? Now that we have set the stage for this divisional showdown let’s examine the betting trends for both teams.

Hey, make sure you check out our picks on the GW Daily Picks page.

Lions vs. Vikings Spread Analysis

Detroit opened as a three-point favorite. However, at the of this writing, the line has moved to 2.5 points (per OddsShark.com). Here’s a look at how the teams have performed against the spread.

• The Lions are an impressive 17-6 ATS in their last 23 games.
• Detroit has covered the spread 15 times in its previous 23 home contests.
• In their last seven January matchups, the Lions are 6-1 against the spread.
• Meanwhile, the Vikings are 4-1 ATS in their previous five games.
• Minnesota is 0-8 ATS in its last eight matchups against Detroit.
• In their last eight January outings, the Vikings are 2-6 against the spread.

Prediction: Detroit Lions (-2.5)

Lions vs. Vikings Over/Under Prediction

The projected scoring total for this matchup is 56 points (via OddsShark.com). Here’s why going with the “over” is the intelligent choice.

• The total has gone OVER four times in the Lions’ last five games.
• The OVER total has hit five times in Detroit’s previous six outings on its home turf.
• The total has gone OVER four times in the Vikings’ last six contests.
• The OVER total has prevailed four times in Minnesota’s previous six road outings.
• In the previous five matchups between these teams, the OVER total is a perfect 5-0.

Prediction: OVER 56 points

Lions vs. Vikings Player Prop Bet

Coming off his sixth 300-plus yard outing of the season, Jared Goff is the key player to watch for the home team in this matchup. He currently has -110 odds of exceeding 271.5 passing yards and -110 odds of finishing with less than 271.5 yards (via Bet365.com). Let’s see how his numbers stack up against the projected yards total.

• During the season, Goff is averaging 274.9 yards per game.
• Goff has suited up in eight home games this season. In those contests, he averages 288.9 yards per outing.
• In 11 matchups against NFC teams this season, Goff is averaging 263.5 yards per game.
• Goff has averaged 327.4 yards per outing across his last five starts, exceeding the projected yards total for this matchup four times during that stretch.

Prediction: Jared Goff OVER 271.5 passing yards