Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell and wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) and linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. (40) react near the end of the game during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
The VikingsTerritory collective staff prediction for the Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings is in.
Minnesota defeated the New York Jets 13 days ago, surviving a late comeback attempt and winning by a score of 23-17.
This weekend, the Vikings return home for a meeting with the Lions, a squad vying for a second straight NFC Championship appearance and then some.
The writers at VikingsTerritory predict Minnesota will win its sixth game of the season.
Writers mostly chose the Vikings, evidently confident that the Vikings’ early-season success is fully sustainable.
Here’s how the panel sees the score for Week 7:
Dustin Baker: Vikings Win, 30-23
Brevan Bane: Vikings Win, 29-26
Sean Borman: Lions Win, 27-24
Janik Eckardt: Vikings Win, 37-34
Josh Frey: Lions Win, 31-27
Henrique Gucciardi: Vikings Win, 35-31
Wes Johnson: Vikings Win, 31-27
Kyle Joudry: Lions Win, 34-31
Adam New: Vikings Win, 27-25
Ted Schwerzler: Vikings Win, 27-17
Ali Siddiqui: Vikings Win, 30-24
Cole Smith: Vikings Win, 30-24
Mathematically en masse, we predict the Vikings will top the Lions by a score of 30-27.
And 2024 season standings for our writers’ predictions:
Henrique Gucciardi: 5-0
Wes Johnson: 5-0
Ted Schwerzler: 5-0
Brevan Bane: 4-1
Kyle Joudry: 4-1
Ali Siddiqui: 4-1
Cole Smith: 4-1
Dustin Baker: 3-2
Janik Eckardt: 3-2
Josh Frey: 3-2
Sean Borman: 2-3
Adam New: 2-3
In Week 5, Josh Frey most accurately predicted the outcome of Vikings-Jets. He forecasted a seven-point triumph for Minnesota, and it won by six.
The Vikings are favored to prevail by 1.5 points against the Lions, and if so, Minnesota would snap a three-game losing skid versus Detroit.
Sporting News picked the Lions over the Vikings, 24-20. “The Lions are relentless and explosive with their offense, as their run-oriented balance keeps leading to big-time passing. The Vikings can handle the run and then get into position to rush the passer and force takeaways for DC Brian Flores. The problem is not having enough offensive answers or ground support to keep up on the scoreboard.” SN’s Vinnie Iyer wrote.
The Lions haven’t downed the Vikings four times in a row since the early 1960s.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.