With all the talk of another winless season out of the way, the Lions can start working on getting back to respectability. They’ll also get a chance to avenge their Week 2 loss to the Vikings when the NFC North rivals meet. Detroit failed to cover last week as a 3.5-point favorite and is 0-3 ATS at home this season and just 1-5 ATS overall.
ODDS
Minnesota opened as a 1-point favorite with a total of 44. The line was wagered to -2.5. The Vikings have been a good bet when on the road lately, going 5-2 ATS in their last seven roadies. The total spiked a half point to 44.5 and the Vikings have yet to play above the total this season.
KEY INJURIES
Charles Johnson – Remains sidelined with a rib injury and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. His absence has given rookie receiver Stefon Diggs a chance to shine.
Zach Zenner – Suffered a partially collapsed lung and four cracked ribs in last week’s game and was placed on season-ending injured reserve. Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick played through injuries last week and Joique Bell missed his third straight game, leaving the Lions thin at running back. Promoting George Winn from the practice squad could be an option.
KEY MISMATCH
Sometimes a player just needs a chance to prove he can play in the NFL. Minnesota’s Stefon Diggs got that chance and he isn’t letting go. He played his first career game three weeks ago when Johnson was sidelined with a rib injury. Diggs caught six passes for 87 yards and quickly gained the trust of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. On the biggest play of last Sunday’s game, Bridgewater dropped back to pass in the fourth quarter on a third-and-15. He looked downfield and let a pass go, not toward big-money acquisition Mike Wallace. It wasn’t intended for 2012 first-round pick Cordarrelle Patterson. And it didn’t go to talented tight end Kyle Rudolph. It went right to Diggs, who found the hole in the defense, came back toward Bridgewater, and made the catch for a 30-yard gain. “He’s a game-changer,” Adrian Peterson said of Diggs. Diggs was mentored by former NFL standout Keenan McCardell at Maryland, and he shows precision on his routes that is rare for rookie receivers. Despite playing in just two games, Diggs is third among all rookies in receiving yards and first in yards per catch.
KEY STAT
-8 – Detroit’s turnover margin. The Lions are last in the league in this category and have turned the ball over 18 times. Minnesota is plus-three in turnover margin and has nine takeaways on the year.
BETTING ANGLE
It didn’t matter how they got it or who it came against, the Lions needed a win. And they got it last week, with an overtime decision over the division-rival Bears. Detroit got on track offensively with quarterback Matthew Stafford throwing for 405 yards and four touchdowns, a week after getting pulled in a 42-17 home loss to Arizona while throwing three picks. The passing game was clicking with Calvin Johnson sprinting free for 166 yards with just his second touchdown of the year. The Lions get another NFC North opponent who they already lost to earlier, and finish off a three-game homestand. This is a huge test for a Minnesota team that has yet to win a road game this season. The Vikes lost to the inept 49ers 20-3 in the season-opener as three point favorites and will find it difficult to beat the Lions in this spot as well.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Vikings haven’t really dominated anyone this season and they have yet to win on the road. The Lions are coming off their first win of the season and need this victory to close out their three-game homestand on a positive note and collect a little steam to possibly make a push in the NFC. While Detroit’s run game is awful and Ameer Abdullah has been relegated to the bench with his fumblitis, the passing attack came alive last week with Stafford and Megatron hooking up for big numbers. While teams try to set up the passing game by running the ball, the Lions need to do the opposite. Detroit did a nice job stifling Matt Forte last week and will need the same effort against Adrian Peterson. Shut AP down and force Bridgewater to beat you through the air. He hasn’t been effective this year with the Vikes having the worst passing offense in the NFL at just 179.6 yards per game. The Lions get their revenge from a loss in Minnesota in Week 2 behind another strong game from Stafford.
Detroit 27, Minnesota 24
The NFL odds for this Sunday contest were first released by BookMaker and the Vikings were positioned as 1-point favorites with a total of 44. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
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