Vikings Will Keep Undefeated Season Alive Against Lions

Lions vs. Vikings, 1:00 ET

Lions vs. Vikings, 1:00 ET

The NFL season always brings us plenty of surprises. It seems like every year there are teams with high expectations that fall very short, and there are teams with low expectations that look like one of the best in the league. I suppose that is part of the intrigue of the new season and what we can look forward to each year. This year is no different and while the Lions are one of the best teams in football, as expected, their opponent, the Vikings, are undefeated and potentially the best team in football.

The Lions come into the game with a 4-1 record and off of arguably the best win of their season. The offense looked good, the defense was stout, and they were coasting to victory. They were looking to go home happy. Until their defense took a huge blow. The Lions lost Aidan Hutchinson to a very ugly injury – if you are squeamish, don’t watch the video. There are few guys on the defensive side of the ball that are as impactful as Hutchinson and he will be a huge loss for the team. He was the heart of the Lions defense. They have the third-best rushing defense in the league, but now, there is a big hole to fill. The passing defense has not been quite as crisp, and now the team doesn’t have their best pass rusher. The Lions are the sixth-worst team in the league and I have expectations that this number will get worse for the team. Their team ranks in the top-10 of points allowed this season, but again, it is hard to envision that they maintain these numbers without Hutchinson on the field. On offense, the team still has a really good running game, and they know how to use their two running backs better than arguably anyone in the league. Jared Goff is looking pretty good under center and he now gets to face a Vikings defense that is third-worst in the league in terms of passing yards allowed per game.

BALTIMORE, MD – OCTOBER 22: Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (97) rushes Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) during the Detroit Lions versus Baltimore Ravens NFL game at M&T Bank Stadium on October 22, 2023 in Baltimore, MD. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Part of the reason the Vikings allow so many passing yards is because they are winning a lot of games, meaning that people have to abandon the run a bit and throw the ball more. The Vikings were off last week after a trip to London. I actually think they needed the break though as they looked like they were on the verge of a loss. The first three games of the season they held opponents to 30 points scored. In the past two, they’ve allowed 46 points. Having an extra week to prepare for this Detroit offense should enable them to put together a good plan for this game. On offense, Sam Darnold is playing like an MVP with 1,111 yards, 11 touchdowns, and four interceptions. Justin Jefferson remains the best receiver in the league and has been a great target for Darnold. The Lions passing defense doesn’t offer much in reason to believe that Darnold will struggle in this one. Aaron Jones has done a good job with the running game, and I think without Hutchinson his day just got much easier.

The Vikings are favored in this game, and should be. However, this seems like the teams are ranked as fairly even overall based on the spread. This feels like a -2.5 spread due to home-field advantage for the Vikings. I think there is more in play here. The team needs to figure out the defense without Hutchinson. The Vikings have an extra week to prepare for this game, and overall, Minnesota’s offense seems at least capable of keeping up with the Lions. I’ll take the Vikings -2.5 in this one as I think the spread is a bit too low.

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