The 1-1-0 Minnesota Vikings host the 1-1-0 Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings have a point spread of -6 with a money line of -240. The over/under total on the game is currently set at 53½ points.
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Detroit Lions (+6)Record: 1-1-0 |
Minnesota Vikings (-6)Record: 1-1-0 |
Minnesota Vikings Offense:
The Vikings are coached by Kevin O’Connell who has been with the team since 2022. They have a current season record of 1-1-0 after going 8-9 last season. All coaches want big games from their offense and certainly Kevin O’Connell is no different.
Kirk Cousins is the quarterback for the Vikings. The 34-year-old Michigan State alum entered the league in 2012 and is looking for a win in front of the home crowd here. Thus far this season he has started 2 games and thrown for 498 yards with a completion percentage of 64.1 percent. Kirk Cousins has thrown 3 touchdowns despite 3 interceptions and has a QB Rating of 78.9.
His main target will be Justin Jefferson. The home crowd would especially love to see some fireworks from the 23-year-old target. He has made 15 receptions to date on 23 targets, a catch percentage of 65.2%, for a total of 232 yards. Justin Jefferson is averaging 15.5 yards per catch with 2 touchdowns thus far. Kirk Cousins will be looking to connect with him for more here.
The Vikings running game is lead by the 27-year-old Dalvin Cook. A big game from him could be the key to controlling the clock here. He’s taken 26 carries and rushed for 107 yards thus far this season. His yards per game currently sits at 53.5 YPG, a number that you know Kevin O’Connell would love to see him exceed in this game. Dalvin Cook has 0 touchdowns this season and 0 fumbles.
Overall, the Minnesota Vikings offense ranks 16 out of 32 teams in Offense DVOA at -1.2%, per FootballOutsiders. The passing game ranks at number 9 with a Passing DVOA of 5.0%. The running game has a Rush DVOA of -7.6%, ranking #24 in the league. This season they have a Red Zone success rate of 0.286 with 2 Red Zone touchdowns in 7 attempts.
Minnesota Vikings Defense/Special Teams:
On the defensive end, the Vikings have a Defense DVOA of 21.6%, ranking 30 in the league. Specifically against the pass they rank #28 at 4.2% and they’ll need them to show up against Jared Goff. The Kevin O’Connell-led team has a Defense against the rush DVOA of 4.2%, #23 out of thirty two teams.
Their kicker is Greg Joseph who has made 3 of 3 field goals this season, a 100.0% field goal percentage, with a long of 56 yards. The Minnesota Vikings fans don’t want to see him too much, but it’s good to know he can hit another one if needed.
Detroit Lions Offense:
The Lions are on the road for this one. Dan Campbell’s squad is 1-1-0 this season after going 3-13-1 last year. He has been at the helm since 2021 and is looking to grab a road win here. The Detroit Lions have a betting line of +6 or you could bet them straight up at +200.
28-year-old Jared Goff will be under center for this one. He entered the league in 2016 after playing his college days at California. Jared Goff has a quarterback rating of 100.1 on 6 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. He’s started 2 games and thrown for 471yards, a completion percentage of 57.7.
D’Andre Swift is the lead back for the Lions running game. The 23-year-old has taken 20 carries and rushed for 200 yards this season. His yards per game currently sits at 100 YPG and he has scored 1 touchdowns with 0 fumbles.
On the passing front, Jared Goff will look to target Amon-Ra St. Brown against the Dan Campbell defense. Amon-Ra St. Brown has 3 touchdowns thus far this season and his team will be looking for more here. On the year, he’s been targeted 24 times and made 17 catches for 180 yards. Amon-Ra St. Brown has a catch percentage of 70.8% and his yards per reception is 10.6.
According to FootballOutsiders, the Detroit Lions offense has a Defense-adjusted Value Over Average of 19.5% which ranks at number 8 out of thirty two teams. The Passing DVOA is -0.4%, the number 15 ranked pass offense in the league. When running the ball, their Rush DVOA ranks at 13 with a Rush DVOA total of 18.5%.
If they hope to win on the road, they’ll need to do well in the Red Zone. For the year, they have scored 8 Red Zone touchdowns on 10 attempts, a Red Zone percentage of 0.8.
Detroit Lions Defense/Special Teams:
The team will be looking for touchdowns, but they have Riley Patterson to knock down field goals if needed. His season long is a 52 yarder which is always helpful on the road. Riley Patterson has made 4 field goals on 52 attempts, a field goal percentage of 80.0%.
The advanced stats from Football Outsiders have the Lions with a Defensive DVOA of 5.0% which ranks at 17/32 in the NFL. They are a different team against the run and the pass though.
Against the pass they rank at #28 out of 32 teams with a Pass DVOA of 4.2%. Comparatively, the run defense has a 2.6% DVOA which ranks at #23.
Key Match-ups:
- Kirk Cousins QB Rating of 78.9 vs. Detroit Lions Pass DVOA Defense of -0.4%
The Lions have 1 interceptions this year and 6 sacks. They are allowing 32.5 points per game. - Dalvin Cook vs. Detroit Lions number 13 ranked DVOA Rush Defense
Opponents are averaging 5.1 yards per carry against the the Detroit Lions and 152 per game. - Jared Goff QB Rating of 100.1 vs. Minnesota Vikings #28 ranked DVOA Pass Defense
The Vikings defense has allowed 15.5 points per game thus far this season. They have sacked the quarterback 7 times and picked him off 2 times. - D’Andre Swift vs. Minnesota Vikings 14.1% DVOA Rush Defense
The Vikings are giving up 137 YPG on 5.3 per carry thus far this season.
Lions/Vikings Bettting Stats:
Lions Against the spread: 2-0-0
Lions Over/Under: 2-0-0
Vikings Against the spread: 1-1-0
Vikings Over/Under: 0-2-0
The best bet is Detroit Lions +6 and Over 53½.