The Detroit Lions are the only winless team left in the NFC. They will look to end their skid this coming Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings on the road. Can the Lions finally get that elusive victory? Or will the Vikings add to Detroit’s woes? Check out our preview of this game below.
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Betting Preview for the Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings Regular Season Week 5 Game on October 10, 2021
Where: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
When: Sunday, October 10, 2021, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Detroit Lions (+7.5) vs Minnesota Vikings (-7.5) – view all 2021 NFL lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
Betting on the Detroit Lions (+7.5)
Regular Season Record: 0-4
The Lions are bad but they are not as horrendous as what their record suggests. The Baltimore Ravens needed to pull off something that had not been done before in the NFL to beat Detroit in Week 3. In Week 4, Detroit lost to the Chicago Bears on the road, 24-14, though the Lions managed to get in the red zone a total of five times. They were able to score just once on those opportunities, so obviously, Jared Goff and the team’s offense will have to keep working on their red-zone packages. Detroit will try again in Week 5 against Minnesota, which entered Week 5 just 22nd in the NFL with an opponents’ touchdown red-zone scoring percentage of 70. Goff recorded 299 passing yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions on 24/38 completions against the Bears’ stout defense, showing that he’s got the arm to march the offense down. It’s just a matter of converting and being on the same page when they’re in premium scoring range and those are something they can iron out with another week of practice.
The over is 4-0 in the Lions’ last four Week 5 games.
Betting on the Minnesota Vikings (-7.5)
Regular Season Record: 1-3
Minnesota failed to snatch its second win of the season in Week 4, as the Vikings lost to the Cleveland Browns at home, 14-7 last Sunday. As the score suggests, the Vikings had a hard time on offense. Kirk Cousins went 20/38 for 203 yards and a touchdown with an interception while getting sacked twice for a loss of 13 yards. The Vikings’ offense, however, was limited by running back Dalvin Cook not being 100% healthy. Cook returned in Week 5 after missing Week 4 because of an injury, though another week of rest and treatment could be all he needs to return to his dominant ways. If Cook is fully okay in Week 5, that will be bad news for Detroit, which had just been terrorized on the ground by Bears running back David Montgomery, who had 106 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries last Sunday. Cousins, despite getting tripped up by Cleveland, remains a dependable asset for Minnesota. With Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and KJ Osborn downfield, Cousins and the Vikings’ passing offense will always be a threat.
The Vikings are 5-2 against the spread in their last seven games after scoring fewer than 15 points in their last contest.
Writer’s Prediction
The Vikings win, 27-19.
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