One of the biggest games in week 4 of the NFL season is the NFC north division showdown between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings.
The game will be played at U.S. Bank Stadium, and is scheduled to begin at 1 PM. ET.
Lions vs Vikings Betting Odds
Here are the odds for this game from Bet365.com:
Point Spread
- Lions +2
- Vikings -2
- Over/Under 42.5
Money Line
- Lions 2.10
- Vikings 1.76
My Pick
Detroit Lions Analysis….
The Lions could easily be 3-0 right now, but the referees called back a last minute touchdown in their game against the Atlanta Falcons last week. Even though the refs made the right call, the Lions will go into this game with a chip on their shoulder because they felt they were robbed of a win last week.
After three games, the Lions look like the best team in the NFC North because of their balanced offense and improved defense.
Last year, the Lions were one dimensional offensively because running back Ameer Abdullah was forced to miss a lot of games due to an injury. With Abdullah back in the lineup, they have been able to establish their running game and are averaging 97 rushing yards per game so far.
Their defense hasn’t been getting a lot of love this season, but they are holding opponents to 21 points per game, which is 14th best in the league. Their season average blew up last week after allowing the Falcons to score 30 points, but other than last week’s performance, they have been pretty good this season.
Minnesota Vikings Analysis…
The Vikings have been very impressive this season considering they have played their last two games without their starting quarterback and got rid of their franchise leading running back Adrian Peterson in the offseason.
After struggling against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second game of the season, quarterback Case Keenum, who is filling in for the injured Sam Bradford, had a career game, throwing for 369 yards and three touchdowns against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week.
If Keenum plays as well as he did against Tampa Bay, he should have the Vikings in a good position to win this game.
Rookie running back Dalvin Cook has also shown he has what it takes to replace the departed Peterson. After rushing for a team rookie record in week 1, Cook had 169 combined yards against the Bucs, showing off both his running and receiving skills. Expect the Vikings to give Cook a lot of carries in this one.
The Vikings have also done a good job defensively this season and are holding opponents to 20.7 points per game, which is 12th in the league.
The pick…
As previously mentioned, I expect to see a close game, but the Lions will come out on top. Take Detroit +2.
Play: Lions +2 @ Bet365.com
Tagged With : nfl betting • NFL Picks