Lions (10-4) at Vikings (7-7)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, US Stadium, Minneapolis TV: FOX
Spread (BetMGM):
Lions by 3
Bank
Lions’ keys to victory: Give QB Jared Goff time to throw. When Goff has had to play in bad weather or under immense pressure, he tends to struggle. Goff threw for five touchdowns in Week 15 against the Broncos. The Vikings defense can be attacked, but to do so you have to protect the quarterback. When Minnesota drops eight into coverage – which it does at the highest rate in the NFL – it can be beaten with good pass protection. The Bengals’ Jake Browning passed for 324 yards against them in Week 15.
Vikings’ keys to victory: Protect the football. It’s something that has defined the Vikings season in 2023. Yes, losing QB Kirk Cousins and WR Justin Jefferson to injuries during the season was brutal, but the Vikings could easily have 10 or more wins if they could just hang on to the football. Turnovers have cost the Vikings multiple games. (Minnesota had 26 turnovers entering Week 16, according to The Football Database.) Not being able to convert deep into Cincinnati Bengals territory last weekend proved to be costly.
Matchup to watch: Lions RT Penei Sewell vs. Vikings OLB Danielle Hunter. The Lions’ best offensive lineman faces the Vikings’ best pass rusher and 2022 Pro Bowl player, who has already set a career high for sacks with 15.5.
Who wins? A Lions win clinches the NFC North for the first time in team history. The Lions last won a division title in 1993, when they were in the NFC Central. Because this game is at US Bank Stadium, though, the Vikings will find a way to pull out the victory.
Vikings, 27-23