Inside The Vikings

Vikings open as slight look-ahead favorites for Week 7 showdown vs. Lions

There's still time for some line movement, but this feels about right.
Will Ragatz|
Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end Johnny Mundt (86) catches a pass while Detroit Lions linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (44) defends during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end Johnny Mundt (86) catches a pass while Detroit Lions linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (44) defends during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Vikings

NFL Week 6 hasn't yet begun, but with the Vikings being off this week, we're already looking ahead towards their gigantic game against the Lions in Week 7. Minnesota has opened as 1.5-point favorites at various sportsbooks for that game against Detroit at U.S. Bank Stadium on the 20th.

The line could certainly move over the next ten days depending on a number of factors, including what happens in Lions-Cowboys this Sunday in Dallas and the injury status of players like Aaron Jones and T.J. Hockenson. But for now, the 5-0 Vikings being slight home favorites feels pretty fair.

There will be a lot on the line in Vikings-Lions no matter what happens this week, but if Detroit is able to beat the Cowboys and move to 4-1, first place in the NFC North will be at stake. If the Lions are 3-2 coming into the matchup, the Vikings will have the opportunity to pull three games ahead of them in the division standings.

Related: Ranking every game left on the Minnesota Vikings' schedule by difficulty

On paper, this game has all the makings of a classic. Heading into Week 6, the Vikings are first in DVOA and the Lions are fifth. The matchup between the Lions' high-flying offense (third in yards per game, fifth in EPA per play) and the Vikings' dominant defense (first in EPA per play, fourth in points against) should be a fascinating one. How offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and quarterback Jared Goff fare against Brian Flores' ultra-confusing scheme will likely determine the outcome. The Lions have the offensive line and skill position weapons to make things very interesting.

On the other side of the ball, all eyes will be on Sam Darnold as he looks to bounce back from a poor performance in London, while the statuses of Jones and Hockenson will loom large. Either way, Justin Jefferson — who has averaged 134.1 yards in eight games against the Lions in his career — will be looking to have another big outing against Detroit.

If the Vikings are going to get to 6-0 for the first time since 2009, they'll have to beat another very good team.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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