Coming out of their bye week, the Detroit Lions have the opportunity to earn another important NFC North victory when they face the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
The Lions (5-2) have had the Vikings’ (3-4) number recently with five straight wins over their divisional foe and look to be the favorite for the Week 9 matchup at Ford Field.
Detroit will see the return of safety Brian Branch from his suspension and possibly get cornerback Terrion Arnold back from injury while the Vikings are expected to have former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy under center for the first time since Week 2.
Here are score predictions for Detroit’s home matchup with the Vikings from MLive’s beat writers:
Ben Raven
Fresh off the bye week and back at home, I’m feeling another big day for the defense and Aidan Hutchinson in his first game post-extension. The Alim McNeill-Hutchinson combo on the line should carry them to another strong day. J.J. McCarthy has a bright future. Just not this weekend.
Prediction: Lions 27, Vikings 10
Kory Woods
This one is going to get out of hand by either halftime or before the fourth quarter starts, and it will be because the Lions come out swinging. The bye week came at the perfect time, giving them a chance to rest and address some kinks — especially on offense — before a pair of tough games ahead.
All signs point toward J.J. McCarthy getting the start under center for Minnesota, and taking on a stout Lions defense coached by Kelvin Sheppard could prove to be a daunting task. I expect the defense to snag a couple of takeaways that set up the offense with short fields to work with. And based on one of the discussions this week, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Jameson Williams find the end zone.
Prediction: Lions 38, Vikings 13
Jacob Richman
The Vikings are just as banged up as the Lions, despite coming off a 10-day rest after a Thursday night game last week. Even if McCarthy is solid in his return game, I think the Minnesota defense will struggle with containing the Lions’ offense.
Alongside a decisive win, I’ll make a bold prediction that Sonic and Knuckles are combining for 200 total yards. The Lions have talked about being more explosive this week, but once they get in the game flow I think Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are going to be the most productive and Detroit leans into it.
Prediction: Lions 35, Vikings 14
Here are some additional predictions from national media for the Lions-Vikings game:
Pick: Lions
“The Vikings are playing with 10 days rest, while the Lions are coming off a much-needed bye. The Lions will be getting some injured players back healthy, while the Vikings will get J.J. McCarthy back at quarterback. He will face a tough challenge trying to keep up with the Lions offense. Look for a big day from Jared Goff as the Lions win it.”
Pick: Lions (unanimous)
Pick: Lions (unanimous)
“How will J.J. perform in this quasi-homecoming at Ford Field, with many Lions fans split between the grateful (Wolverine backers) and the hateful (Sparty supporters)? More directly, how will J.J. fare against former Michigan teammate Aidan Hutchinson and a Detroit defense that’s been stellar at home? It feels like an uphill battle for a 22-year-old seeking his second good quarter in his third NFL game, especially if the Vikings’ defense continues to disappoint.”
Pick: Lions
“The Lions had a week off to get ready for this game. The Vikings had a mini-bye after getting blown out on Thursday Night Football. Jared Goff and Detroit will hand Minnesota another lopsided loss.”
Pick: Lions
“How will Minnesota slow down a Detroit offense that ranks third in the NFL with 30.7 points per game? The Lions have won the last three home meetings by 10 points or more and average 36.7 points at Ford Field. ”
Pick: Lions (unanimous)
“J.J. McCarthy should get a nice welcome from all the Michigan fans in the building. Then the Lions are going to relentlessly bite his kneecaps.”
Pick: Lions (unanimous)
“This one will go very differently than J.J. McCarthy’s most recent game in Michigan, from November 2023 against Ohio State.”
Pick: Lions (unanimous)
“It looks like we’re all on the Lions, which is understandable. Detroit has moved past whatever issues it had with its double-coordinator change and is every bit the powerhouse it was a year ago. The Vikings, meanwhile, are pretty much forced to go back to McCarthy at quarterback. It’s just hard to back a quarterback with two career starts on the road in Detroit. Of course, none of this guarantees the Lions will run away with this one.
Divisional games are always unpredictable, and the Lions, even coming out of their bye, have more defensive injury concerns than any team would be comfortable having. If the Vikings—who rank 28th in average drive time—prevent their 14th-ranked defense from having to carry the load again, they should have a chance of keeping this one close."
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