2023 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 16

Detroit Lions (10-4) @ Minnesota Vikings (7-7)

You can't help but wonder how good the Vikings might have been this season if Kirk Cousins had been able to stay healthy. You've also got to respect the job that Kevin O'Connell has done in making sure his guys are ready to compete week in and week out. Keep in mind, this Vikings team was looking like they were heading for a top-10 draft pick at one point, but they've managed to stay in the playoff mix even without Cousins and even Justin Jefferson for a large majority of the season.

But the Vikings might be heading down a slippery slope at this point.

Watching Nick Mullens operate the offense for Minnesota on Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals, it's clear that this Vikings team is no longer equipped to hang with really good teams. They simply need everything to go right.

And I don't think that's going to happen against the Detroit Lions. Although the Lions hit a bit of a dry spell there dating back to their Thanksgiving loss to the Green Bay Packers, they got back on track in a big way against the Denver Broncos on Saturday night, winning 42-17. It was a dominant effort in which the Lions did a tremendous job of winning at the line of scrimmage and limiting mistakes.

If they can play mistake-free football, they're going to beat the Vikings rather easily. Minnesota just doesn't have the talent to keep up right now with a team like Detroit.

Prediction: Lions win 31-17