Vikings vs. Lions Point Spread: Thanksgiving Thursday Football

As has been the case for many years, the Thanksgiving holiday NFL schedule in the USA begins with an early start from Detroit on Thursday. It’s a big game in the NFC North with the Lions and Vikings tied atop the division. Detroit would win the head-to-head tiebreaker with a victory on Turkey Day and it is a slight betting favourite on Sports Interaction NFL odds.

NFL Thanksgiving: Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions

Point spread: Lions -2.5

Over/under: 43

Date: Thursday, Nov. 24, 12:30 p.m. ET

Location: Ford Field, Detroit

Minnesota Vikings

It seems like ages ago, but the Vikings (6-4) were the NFL’s final unbeaten team at 5-0 this season. Most players are thrilled when the bye week comes, but perhaps it came too early for this team in Week 6 as coming out of the off week the Vikings lost four straight. The defense, one of the NFL’s best, wasn’t quite as good as the first five weeks and the offense struggled in a big way, reaching 20 points just once in that stretch.

However, the Vikings stopped the bleeding on Sunday with a 30-24 home victory over defending NFC West champion Arizona. The offense still isn’t fixed as it managed just 217 total yards. The Vikings rank dead last in the NFL in averaging 293.8 yards per game and also 32nd in rushing at 70 yards per game. This club badly misses the injured Adrian Peterson, although there’s still hope he can return from his knee injury late in the regular season.

The defense and special teams won that game against the Cardinals. Cornerback Xavier Rhodes had a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown, and receiver Cordarrelle Patterson returned a kickoff 104 yards for a touchdown. Minnesota became the first team since the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 14, 1962, to have at least a 100-yard interception return and 100-yard kickoff return for a score in the same game. The Vikings also scored twice each on defense and special teams during their 5-0 start, but didn’t have a return touchdown in the four-game skid.

Any victory is a good victory in the NFL, but the Vikings’ issues don’t appear to have been solved yet. You aren’t obviously getting two return TDs in a game very often. But Minnesota allows the second-fewest points per game (17.6) and is third in the NFL by allowing 306.9 yards per game. Minnesota is 6-4 ATS this season and 4-6 over/under.

Detroit Lions

The Lions (6-4) haven’t won a division title since back in 1993 when the NFC North was still known as the Central, but a victory here essentially gives them a two-game lead over Minnesota, and with the Packers in a free-fall, Detroit would be in the clear driver’s seat for the division crown. It is the -105 favourite on NFL odds to win the North.

I honestly can’t tell you if the Lions are good or lucky or both. Did you know they have trailed in the fourth quarter of every game this season? The Lions are also the first team in league history to have six wins when trailing in the fourth in each of the team’s first 10 games.

On Sunday, Detroit hosted a bad Jacksonville team and trailed 19-16 entering the fourth. But tight end Eric Ebron scored a 1-yard TD run on the first carry of his pro career with 10 minutes to go, and Matt Prater added a 43-yard goal with 22 seconds left for a 26-19 victory. That also made the Lions the first team in NFL history to have each of its first 10 games decided by seven points or fewer.

In one respect, the Lions are like the Vikings in that they can’t run it either. Detroit had 14 yards on 21 carries against Jacksonville and ranks 30th in the NFL at 79.5 yards per game on the ground. The Lions also lost their No. 1 back, Ameer Abdullah, to an early-season injury and he’s a long shot to return this season.
Detroit is 6-4 ATS this season and 4-6 over/under just like Minnesota.

Vikings vs. Lions Prediction

Minnesota really blew a Week 9 home game vs. Detroit, losing 22-16 in overtime. Vikings kicker Blair Walsh missed an extra point and had a field goal blocked in regulation or there wouldn’t have been overtime. He has since been released. The Vikings took a 16-13 lead on a 1-yard Rhett Ellison run with 23 seconds left, but Matthew Stafford was able to get the Lions into range for a 58-yard field goal as time expired. Prater made it, and then Detroit scored on a Stafford to Golden Tate 28-yard TD pass on the first possession of OT to win it. The Vikings had Tate stopped on the sideline, but he shed two tackles. Terrible loss for Minnesota.

I like Detroit to finish the sweep so give the 2.5 points. Go under that small total as the under has hit in five of the past six meetings.

For more Thanksgiving Thursday football coverage, check out our detailed previews and predictions for the Indianapolis Colts vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game and our coverage of the Washington Redskins vs. the Dallas Cowboys point spread and a prediction.