Minnesota Vikings: 3 Bold predictions in Week 17 vs. Lions
Minnesota Vikings bold predictions for their Week 17 matchup with the Lions.
The Minnesota Vikings head into the final week of the 2020 NFL season with not much to play for other than trying to finish off the year on a bright note against a division opponent.
After being eliminated from playoff contention a few weeks ago, Minnesota hits the road for the regular-season finale in Week 17 to take on the Detroit Lions on the road in Detroit in a battle between NFC North squads.
The Vikings and Lions, who are both on the outside of the postseason picture entering Week 17, will square off for the second time of the season, with the first contest going the way of Minnesota in Week 9 by a decision of 34-20 in Minneapolis.
Minnesota comes into the game with a record of 6-9 overall, having lost three in a row and most recently dropping a road contest to the New Orleans Saints in Week 16 on Christmas Day in New Orleans.
In that game, the Vikings were blown out of the water by a high-powered Saints offense, with Minnesota tallying 33 points but allowing New Orleans to go off for 52 points behind a record performance on the ground by Saints running back Alvin Kamara.
On the other side of the field on Sunday afternoon in Week 16, the Vikings battle a Lions team that enters the game at 5-10 overall and are losers of three in a row. Detroit most recently was blown out at home 47-7 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16, a game that included having some absences on the coaching staff due to COVID-19 contact tracing.
With both the Vikings and Lions looking to end losing streaks and hoping to at least end the season on a high note in Week 17, let’s take a look at three bold predictions that will occur in the contest for Minnesota as the 2020 campaign officially comes to a close.
3. Vikings offense thrives against Lions
The first thing that will take place in the Week 17 game between Minnesota and Detroit on Sunday afternoon in Detroit is that the Vikings offense will thrive throughout the course of the NFC North contest.
For the majority of the season, Minnesota’s offense has been one of the top units in the NFL, having the sixth-ranked offense in the league entering the regular-season finale. The Vikings have featured the sixth-best running game led by Dalvin Cook and company while also holding the 18th-ranked passing attack with Kirk Cousins leading the way under center.
When it comes to squaring off against the Lions, the Vikings have had success already this season when facing Detroit, with Minnesota’s offense going off for 34 points in the first matchup between the two teams back in Week 9 in Minneapolis.
Another reason that the Vikings offense will thrive is due to the struggles the Lions have had on the defensive side of the ball to this point in the 2020 season. Detroit comes into Week 17 holding the 31st-ranked defense in the NFL, giving up 32.1 points per game along with a total of 425.4 yards per contest.
Assuming Minnesota is at full strength in the game on Sunday afternoon in Detroit, the offense will step up and perform well once again, which has been something that has occurred basically for the entirety of the year to this point.