Two of the most dominant teams in the National Football Conference, the Minnesota Vikings (5-0) and the Detroit Lions (4-1) are set to clash tonight. And this game goes beyond the domination in the conference. The Vikings and the Lions will fight it out for dominance in the NFC North division too.
The Minnesota Vikings had a rough start to begin with. They lost their star rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy to a season-ending knee injury in the pre-season. Kirk Cousins had already departed to join the Atlanta Falcons. But head coach Kevin O’Connell had some plans set in motion. The acquisition of Sam Darnold by the Vikings is now revered as one of the best decisions made in the preseason.
Two wins at home and three wins on the road, Sam Darnold and co. are undefeated, including impressive wins over teams like the Texans and the 49ers. The Detroit Lions haven’t been less impressive either.
Barring the loss to Tampa Bay, the Lions have laid waste to every opposition. And the last game when they decimated the Cowboys 47-9 is a statement of the football Dan Campbell wants his boys to play this season.
But what will happen when the unstoppable Vikings meet the immovable Lions in week 7’s Sunday Night Football game tonight? Let’s analyze.
The Minnesota Vikings lead the overall head-to-head record against the Detroit Lions by 80-43-2. But surprisingly, the last 5 meetings between the two NFC North sides tell a different story.
The Lions have managed to win four of the last five meetings against the Vikings, including two back-to-back wins in the 2023-24 regular season. The last win for Minnesota came back in 2022 when they beat the Lions in a close game by 28-24. Kevin O’Connell and his side lost the home and away games to the Lions last season and they would love to flip the script this time.
The Vikings have listed five players as questionable on the final injury report ahead of Sunday Night Football game against the Lions: RB Aaron Jones (due to hamstring injury), TE T.J. Hockenson (due to knee injury), G Dalton Risner (due to sore back), DT Harrison Phillips (due to a shoulder injury), and LB Pat Jones II (shoulder).
LB Blake Cashman (toe injury) and backup CB Akayleb Evans (hip injury) have been ruled out of the game. Ivan Pace Jr. and Kamu Grugier-Hill will step in to fill the roles.
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CB Carlton Davis is questionable due to a quad injury but had full participation in practice on Friday. OG Kevin Zeitler is also questionable due to a groin injury and had limited participation during the Thursday practice session.
Expect the battle between the two NFC North teams this year to be a close call. The Vikings lead the league in average scoring margin at +12.6. And guess who is right behind them in second place? The Detroit Lions at +12.0. The betting lines have been very close throughout the week but the Vikings are slight favorites to win this one, given the home field advantage.
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You can watch the Lions vs. Vikings game on FOX TV Channel. The game can be live streamed on Fubo, DirecTV and NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube. The kickoff time is 1 p.m. ET on October 20,2024.
(Image Credits: Kirby Lee- Imagn Images)
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