The Vikings are coming off a 27-22 win over the New York last weekend and enter Sunday’s contest sporting a five-game lead over the second-place Lions in the divisional standings with just five games remaining on their schedule. The Lions look to build on last week’s crushing 40-14 victory over Jacksonville that marks their fourth win in five outings.

The Lions have surged to 2-point favourites on the NFL odds since opening as 3-point underdogs, but it is the Vikings that have emerged as razor-thin -113 chalk to cover. The total has climbed to 52 since opening at 51, with 64 per cent of sports bettors backing the OVER.

NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis

Sunday afternoon’s matchup at Ford Field marks the second and final regular season meeting between these NFC North rivals. The Vikings claimed a 28-24 win when they hosted the Lions back in Week 3, but failed to cover as 6.5-point favourites. Overall, Minnesota has claimed victory in nine of 10 dates with the Lions. However, Detroit posted a 29-27 win as 7-point underdogs when the Vikings visited the Motor City last season, and has covered in four straight head-to-head matchups. The total has topped 50 in five of seven meetings, including each of the past three in Detroit, spawning a steady 5-2 run for the OVER in totals betting.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings face a huge challenge to get healthy before Sunday’s contest after an unidentified illness struck the locker room, forcing five players to miss practice as of Thursday. Reports indicate that the spread of the mysterious bug may not be over, raising serious concerns about what this team’s lineup will look like come Sunday. The Vikings defence has been particularly hard hit, with cornerback Patrick Patterson, strong safety Harrison Smith, and linebacker Danielle Hunter all reportedly ill. They were joined in the clinic by edge Jonathan Bullard with a bicep injury.

However, the good news is that so far quarterback Kirk Cousins has not found his way on to the injury report despite appearing to be hurt after taking a big hit early in Sunday’s win over the Jets. The rash of illnesses comes at a bad time for the Vikings, who are poised to become the first team to clinch a division title this season after posting nine wins in 10 games. That run includes four straight road wins. But those have come by the narrowest of margins, with Minnesota claiming victory by just three points in three of those contests.

Detroit Lions

The Lions continued to roar in last week’s demolition of the Jaguars. Losers in six of their first seven outings, the Lions have moved to within just two games of the final wild card spot in the NFC during their 4-1 run. The Detroit offence has found a higher gear during the team’s surge, averaging 28.4 points per game over that stretch while scoring at least 31 points three times, and now ranks seventh in the league in total yards per game, and sixth in points scored per game.

However, the Lions have not been immune to the bug that has struck the Vikings, with three players missing practice as a result including cornerback Jeff Okudah, backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld, and receiver Kalif Raymond. That complicates an already worrisome injury situation for the Detroit defence, with Will Harris and Derrick Barnes already on the shelf.

And while rushers D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams missed time earlier this week, both were full participants at Thursday practice. That provides additional options for quarterback Jared Goff, who enjoyed his most productive outing in two months last weekend while tossing for 340 yards and two touchdowns. Goff has now thrown for seven scores and just one pick during the Lions’ 4-1 run, which marks a turnaround after throwing six interceptions over his first six outings of the season.

NFL Prediction: Who Will Win Vikings vs. Lions?