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Vikings vs Lions Prediction & NFL Odds For Week 18

ByUSA Wager

The Lions are favored at -154 on the money line as they host the Vikings at 8:20 ET on Sunday, January 5th at Ford Field in Detroit. The Vikings are +3 point underdogs on the road in this week 18 NFC North matchup. The over/under line is set at 56 points for this one, which will be televised on NBC.

Prediction at a Glance for Lions vs Vikings

  • We have the Vikings winning this one by a score of 34 to 30
  • Not only do we have the Vikings winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at +3
  • Look for this game to go over the line of 56 points

Betting Odds & Lines for this Game

  • Spread: Vikings +3 | Lions -3
  • Total: 56
  • MoneyLine: Vikings +129 | Lions -154

All Odds are courtesy of (BetMGM | DraftKings | Fanduel | BetRivers)

Vikings vs. Lions Prediction: MoneyLine

Heading into week 18, the Vikings are 10th in our offensive power rankings. They rank 9th in the NFL in points per game (26.4) and 12th in yards per game (352.2). Minnesota has been strong early in games, ranking 2nd in the league in 1st-quarter scoring. They are 20th in passing attempts per game but 5th in passing yards, with 243.8 per game. On the ground, they rank 19th in rushing yards per game.

Sam Darnold threw for 377 yards (33/43) and 3 touchdowns in week 17 against the Packers. Justin Jefferson had 8 catches for 92 yards, and Aaron Jones ran for 47 yards on 12 carries. Minnesota scored 13 points in the 2nd quarter and 14 in the 3rd, but they were held scoreless in the 1st and 4th quarters.

Jared Goff has been on a tear, posting passer ratings of 132 in week 17, 136 in week 16, and 118 in week 15. Against the 49ers in week 17, he threw for 303 yards and 3 touchdowns without an interception, completing 26 of 34 passes. Goff has not thrown an interception in his last three games. Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 117 yards on 18 carries in week 17, while Jameson Williams led the team with 5 catches for 77 yards.

Detroit ranks 2nd in our offensive power rankings, leading the NFL with 33.3 points per game. They are 2nd in passing yards per game (266.1) and 6th in rushing yards (144.4). Despite ranking 15th in passing attempts, the Lions are 3rd in the league in 3rd-down conversion percentage.

  • Free MoneyLine Prediction Vikings +129 (Bet Now)

Vikings vs. Lions Prediction: Total

In their 27-25 win over the Packers, the Vikings’ defense allowed 167 passing yards on 19 completions. They held Green Bay to 104 rushing yards on 24 attempts, averaging 4.3 yards per attempt. Minnesota’s defense recorded three sacks and limited the Packers to a 36.7% third down conversion rate.

Minnesota did allow one passing touchdown and a 57.1% third down conversion rate. The Vikings also had 4 more QB hits than the Packers, but lost the tackles for loss battle by a margin of -6.

In their 40-34 win over the 49ers, the Lions’ defense gave up 400 passing yards on 30 completions, with two interceptions. San Francisco had a 62.5% third-down conversion rate and managed 475 total yards. The Lions’ defense allowed 75 rushing yards on just 18 attempts, giving up 4.2 yards per attempt.

Despite allowing three passing touchdowns, the Lions did come up with two key interceptions. On the defensive front, they had two sacks and won the quarterback hit battle by two, but they did lose the tackles for loss differential by -5.

  • Free Total Prediction OVER 56 (Bet Now)

Vikings vs. Lions Prediction: Spread

With a 14-2 record, the Vikings have now won nine straight games, including a 27-25 victory over the Packers in week 17. This streak includes a 30-12 win over the Bears in week 15, a 42-28 win over the Falcons in week 14, and a narrow 23-22 win over the Cardinals in week 13. Minnesota is currently 2nd in the NFC North and 5th in the conference standings, with a 4-1 division record and a 9-2 mark in conference play. Our projections give them a 100% chance of making the playoffs and a 34.9% chance of winning the division.

Heading into week 18, the Vikings rank 6th in our NFL power rankings. They have an average scoring margin of +7.6 points per game and are 11-4-1 against the spread, including four straight ATS wins. Their O/U record is 7-9, with the over hitting in their last two games.

  • Minnesota will look to keep things rolling as they have put together a mark of 3-0 over their past three games. In these games, they have a 3-0 record vs the spread and an over-under mark of 2-1.
  • Through their last five road games, Minnesota has an ATS record of just 2-2-1. However, their overall record was 4-1 while averaging 22 points per game.

With a 14-2 record, the Lions hold the top spot in our NFL power rankings and have a 65.1% chance of winning the NFC North. They’ve already secured a playoff berth, and a win over the Vikings in week 18 would clinch the division. Detroit bounced back from their week 15 loss to the Bills with wins over the Bears and 49ers, including a 40-34 victory over San Francisco in week 17. The Lions were 3.5-point favorites in that game and covered the spread, bringing their ATS record to 11-4-1.

Detroit has an average scoring margin of +12.5 points per game and has hit the over in four straight games. Their O/U record is 9-6-1 this season. The average total in Lions games is 54.1 points, while their O/U lines have averaged 50.1 points.

  • Detroit has put together a record of 2-1 over their past three games. Across these games, they have put together an ATS mark of 0-2-1 as well as an over-under record of 2-1.
  • In their last five home games, Detroit has averaged 29 points per game while allowing 18. The team’s record in this stretch was 5-0 while going 4-1 vs. the spread.
  • Free Spread Prediction Vikings +3 (Bet Now)

Vikings vs. Lions Pick: Vikings Moneyline (+129)

For this week 18 matchup between the Vikings and Lions, we have the Vikings coming out on top by a score of 34-30. With the Vikings being 3-point road favorites, our pick vs. the spread is to take the Lions to cover as home underdogs.

As for the over/under, we really like the over in this one, with a projected combined score of 64 points and the line sitting at 56 points.

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