Lions (3-8-1) at Vikings (8-4)
Vikings schedule
W ......... Atlanta ......... 28-12 L .... at Green Bay .... 21-16 W ........ Oakland ........ 34-14 L ........ at Chicago ........ 16-6 W ...atN.Y.Giants ...28-10 W .... Philadelphia .... 38-20 W ....... at Detroit ....... 42-30 W ...... Washington ...... 19-9 L ...atKansasCity ...26-23 W ........ at Dallas ........ 28-24 W ......... Denver ......... 27-23
BYE
L ....... atSeattle ....... 37-30 Dec.8 ......... Detroit ......... 1 Dec. 15 at L.A. Chrgrs 4:05 Dec.23 ..GreenBay ..8:15 Dec. 29 ....... Chicago ....... 1
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
TV: Fox
Danny Sheridan’s by 14 ⁄2
1
Lions’ keys to victory: Play better late in games. This is a team that is better than its record indicates. Only one of the Lions’ losses has been by more than eight points, and that was back on Oct. 20 against the Vikings when Minnesota won 42-30. There is plenty of talent on this Lions team, especially at wide receiver with Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. The Vikings’ secondary has been suspect, so there’s an opportunity here for Detroit to make big plays.
Vikings’ keys to victory: Don’t lose focus in preparation. The Vikings had a huge “Monday Night Football” game against the Seattle Seahawks and have a tough closing schedule. The Vikings nearly fell into a trap against the Denver Broncos in Week 11 before their bye week. The Lions are eliminated from the playoff hunt and have nothing to play for.
Matchup to watch: Lions’ quarterback vs. Vikings’ pass rush. Whether it’s David Blough or Jeff Driskel playing quarterback for the Lions, he’ll have his hands full with a talented Vikings pass rush. Danielle Hunter is having another strong season. Everson Griffen is back on track after a rocky 2018. Even Anthony Barr gets in the mix sometimes. Expect Vikings coach Mike Zimmer to throw a lot at whoever the Lions quarterback is and force him into some tough decisions.
Who wins? The NFC playoff picture changes week to week, and that just shows you how competitive the conference is. The Vikings should think of this as a must-win game if they are to win the NFC North title.
Vikings, 29-13 line:
Vikings