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Game Overview

NFC North foes battle it out in what is becoming one of the most intriguing games of the week in NFL betting action, as the Detroit Lions will fight it out with the Minnesota Vikings.

Sure, we’re only a few games into the season, but the Vikings all of a sudden might find themselves in the thick of the playoff race, especially if they can figure out how to win this game. Taking QB Christian Ponder in the first round of the NFL Draft was considered a massive reach, but perhaps Minnesota knew what it was doing. Ponder not only has a pair of wins this year, but he has some pretty darn good stats, too. He has thrown for 713 yards and is completing 70.1 percent of his passes. Add in four TDs without a pick, and it’s clear that this is a dangerous team. Imagine how great things will become when RB Adrian Peterson really gets going. All Day has 230 yards and two scores this year, but he clearly hasn’t even scratched the surface of his potential for this year. The defense is still a sieve though, and though the Vikes haven’t played any of the elite quarterbacks in the league this year, it is still allowing 19.7 points and 306.7 yards per game. Those numbers both rank ninth in the NFL, but when you look at what these opponents are likely going to do for the whole year, one can’t help but think that this is the game that the defense might show its colors if it doesn’t step up its play.

The Lions have a big issue right now at the quarterback position. QB Matthew Stafford was taken out of the lineup with what is being classified as some sort of a leg or hip injury. Detroit has been mum as to whether Stafford is going to be in the lineup on Sunday or not. If he is, what the Vikings are facing is a 5,000-yard passer that has the ability to literally do anything that any of the great quarterbacks in the league can do. If he isn’t, QB Shaun Hill, a journeyman quarterback that really has never had great success in this league will be calling the shots. That’d be all fine and dandy if Detroit had a ground game. RB Mikel Leshoure came back from his suspension and carried the ball 26 times for 100 yards last week, but we have some serious doubts that a team that didn’t have a 500-yard rusher last year is going to be able to keep that up.

Prediction

The Lions have won three in a row in this series, but these games are always close. Without knowing whether Stafford is playing or not, it’s tough to make a call in this one. What we do know though, is that Minnesota has really played great football this year against some solid teams. There’s no reason to think that it can’t pull off the upset. Minnesota 26 – Detroit 17