The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings will renew their NFC North rivalry on Thursday afternoon in Week 17 of the NFL season. The Lions are clinging to slim playoff hopes with two weeks left in the regular season and will try to get an important win for their postseason hopes here. The Vikings enter this holiday clash with momentum from a three-game winning streak, but will be without their starting quarterback due to injury. Before kickoff from Minneapolis, you can find my Lions vs Vikings prediction below.
Our Lions vs Vikings Pick
| Pick: | |
| Confidence: | 3/5 |
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings
- Date & Time: Thursday, December 25, 2025, 4:30 PM ET
- Venue: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Broadcast: Netflix
Key Storylines
The Lions sit at 8-7 on the season and are fighting to stay alive in the playoff hunt. A win here is essential if Detroit hopes to extend its hopes into Week 18. But a win by the Packers later this week would knock the Lions out of the playoffs no matter what. Injuries have impacted Detroit’s roster, including the placement of safety Kerby Joseph on injured reserve, weakening a secondary that has already been tested throughout the year.
Minnesota arrives at 7-8 and has already been eliminated from postseason contention, but the Vikings enter with confidence from three straight victories. The Vikings have taken a critical blow with starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy ruled out due to a hairline fracture in his throwing hand. Backup Max Brosmer will make his second start of the season, which does not inspire confidence based on what we saw the last time Brosmer started.
Quarterback Play
Detroit’s Jared Goff has enjoyed a strong 2025 campaign, topping 4,000 passing yards with 32 touchdowns against only 5 interceptions. Goff is among the league’s more efficient signal-callers. His connection with his top receivers, especially Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, provides Detroit with one of the more explosive passing attacks in the NFC.
Minnesota’s quarterback situation is less clear. McCarthy’s absence forces the Vikings to turn to Brosmer under center, and while the Vikings have shown some grit recently, Brosmer led the Vikings to a shutout loss in his first start of the year.
Betting Trends & H2H
- The Vikings defeated the Lions 27-24 in Detroit earlier in the season.
- Both of these teams are 7-8 against the spread going into Week 17.
- The Lions have gone over the total in 10 of their 15 games this season.
- The Vikings have gone over the total 8 times in 15 games.
Lions vs Vikings Model Projection
Final Thoughts
