Who’s playing
Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions
Current records: Minnesota 7-9, Detroit 11-5
How to watch
- When: Sunday, January 7, 2024 at 1 p.m. ET
- Or: Ford Field – Detroit, Michigan
- TV: FOX
- Follow: CBS Sports app
What there is to know
The Vikings have played two games at home but will soon have to dust off their jerseys on the road. They will face the Detroit Lions on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at Ford Field. After losing a game the Vikings were expected to win, they now face the toughest task of proving themselves against unfavorable odds.
Minnesota gave up the first and most points on Sunday. Their bruising 33-10 loss to the Packers could scar them for a while. Minnesota was in a tough spot after the first half, already up 23-3.
Unsurprisingly, given the score, the Vikings struggled to move the ball and finished the game with just 211 total yards. That’s the fewest total yards they’ve managed all season.
Meanwhile, Detroit scored two points against Dallas on Saturday, and the resulting botched attempt cost them the game. The Lions were a hair away from victory and lost 20-19 to the Cowboys. This defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Detroit in its clashes against Dallas: they have now lost five in a row.
Despite their defeat, the Lions saw several players rise to the challenge and perform remarkable actions. Perhaps the best of all was Amon-Ra St. Brown, who had 90 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Minnesota has had a rocky road recently, losing five of its last six games, which took a major dent in its 7-9 record this season. As for Detroit, their loss dropped their record to 11-5.
Here are some offensive stats to watch ahead of Sunday’s game: The Vikings have been excellent through the air this season, averaging 269 passing yards per game (they are ranked fifth in total passing yards per game). However, it’s not like the Lions are struggling in that department as they’ve averaged 267.9 passing yards per game. It looks like Sunday’s game could be a classic QB duel.
Odds
Detroit is a 3-point favorite against Minnesota, according to the latest NFL odds.
The plus/minus is set at 45.5 points.
Find out the NFL picks for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
History of the series
Minnesota has won 7 of its last 10 games against Detroit.
- December 24, 2023 – Detroit 30 vs. Minnesota 24
- December 11, 2022 – Detroit 34 vs. Minnesota 23
- September 25, 2022 – Minnesota 28 vs. Detroit 24
- December 5, 2021 – Detroit 29 vs. Minnesota 27
- October 10, 2021 – Minnesota 19 vs. Detroit 17
- January 3, 2021 – Minnesota 37 vs. Detroit 35
- November 8, 2020 – Minnesota 34 vs. Detroit 20
- December 8, 2019 – Minnesota 20 against Detroit 7
- October 20, 2019 – Minnesota 42 vs. Detroit 30
- December 23, 2018 – Minnesota 27 vs. Detroit 9
