Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings Picks and Prediction for Thursday, December 25th, 2025
Use Code WWWC The Detroit Lions (8-7, 7-8 ATS, 10-5 O/U) take on the Minnesota Vikings (7-8, 7-8 ATS, 8-7 O/U) in an NFC North showdown on Christmas Day, and we have you covered with the prediction. The Lions dropped a home meeting against the Steelers last week. The Vikings recorded a road win against the Giants in their previous action. Minnesota issued a 27-24 road win against Detroit last month.
Can the Lions register their 10th win of the season on Thursday afternoon? Check out the Lions vs. Vikings pick. Do you need a boost in your handicapping? Try our NFL Betting Picks!
Detroit Drops Home Meetings vs. Steelers
The Detroit Lions are attempting to keep their dim playoff hopes intact. Detroit needs to win its last two games and hope that Green Bay drops its remaining two games. The Lions have endured one of the toughest schedules in the entire NFL this season. Detroit has dropped three of its past five games. They lost to the Packers in that span and were hit with a 41-34 defeat by the Rams two weeks ago. Next, the Lions were out of sync in a disappointing 29-24 home defeat at the hands of the Steelers last week. The Lions were the big 7.5-point favorites. The Lions have covered the spread in just one of their past five games.
Jared Goff is having an outstanding season. The 31-year-old QB has surpassed 250 passing yards in 10 games. Goff has dominant numbers, recording 4036 passing yards and a stellar 32:5 TD to INT ratio. Jahmyr Gibbs is a huge threat on the ground. The 23-year-old RB posted just two yards last week and leads the squad with 1102 rushing yards on the year.
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Amon-Ra St. Brown is a huge threat. The 26-year-old star WR has reached 90 yards in six games and has 1194 receiving yards. Jameson Williams is next with up to 1006 receiving yards this season. The Detroit offense posted 361 yards last week. The offense is averaging 378 yards per game.
The Lions' defense is dealing with injuries and has been exposed due to the depleted secondary. Top safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch remain out. The Lions conceded nearly 500 total yards last week and are squandering an average of 347 yards per game. The pass defense is 25th, while the rush defense is a strength, coming in at 12th.
Detroit is averaging 30.1 points on the season, ranking them second. The Lions are conceding an average of 25 points, placing them 23rd in the NFL.
Minnesota Seeks .500 Record on Season
The Minnesota Vikings are attempting to finish the season with a .500 record. It’s been a disappointing season for a team that was expected to make the playoffs. The Vikings are playing better this month, winning three of their past five games. They beat the Commanders earlier this month and earned a road win against the Cowboys two weeks ago. The success continued in a narrow 16-13 road win against the Giants last week in a bout that had Minnesota tabbed as 2.5-point favorites. The Vikings have covered the spread in three of their past five games.
The Vikings have used several QBs this season due to injuries. J.J. McCarthy has a hand injury and is questionable. The 22-year-old former 1st round pick has been hit or miss. He has recorded 250 or fewer passing yards in six of nine games, and has 1450 passing yards and an 11:12 TD to INT ratio on the year. If he is unable to play, Max Brosmer will be at QB. Minnesota does not run a whole lot. Jordan Mason has netted 50 yards on six occasions this season. The 26-year-old RB has managed 664 rushing yards on the year.
The receiving core is decent. Justin Jefferson has not been quite as dominant as in past years. The 26-year-old WR has delivered 100 yards in just two games and has 917 yards on the year. Jordan Addison has 602 yards. The Minnesota offense issued 240 total yards in the win last week. This brings their season average to 276 yards per game.
The Vikings' defense is their top strength. The group has conceded 23 or fewer points in three of its past five games. CB Byron Murphy Jr. has been strong and has broken up six passes. The defense kept the Giants to just 141 yards in the win last week. This improves the Vikings' season average to 296 yards per game. The pass defense is among the best, standing fifth, while the rush defense is pegged 23rd.
Minnesota is scoring an average of 20.3 points on the season, rating them 25th. The Vikings are keeping opponents to 21.3 points, marking them 12th in the NFL.
Lions vs. Vikings Pick
Spread Pick for Lions vs. Vikings
- Detroit Lions -6 (5 units)
The Detroit Lions need to win this game to keep their dim playoff hopes intact. They have endured the toughest schedule in the NFL and still stand second in the NFL in points scored. The Minnesota Vikings are winning games this month, but it’s been against easy competition. Two of the past three wins were against the Commanders and Giants.
Furthermore, Detroit has a potent rushing offense that is averaging 123 rushing yards per game, ranking them 12th in the NFL. This is key against a weak Vikings rush defense that is squandering an average of 128 rushing yards per game, pegging them 23rd in the NFL. Also, while the Lions' defense is dealing with key injuries, Minnesota has a weak offense that has scored 19 or fewer points in five of its past six games. The offense only managed 240 total yards last week. Also, keep in mind, Minnesota QB J.J. McCarthy is questionable with a hand injury.
Over/Under Pick for Lions vs. Vikings
- Over 44.5 (5 units)
I expect this one to go over, considering the lower number. The Detroit offense continues to thrive. They have scored an average of 32 points in their past five games. The Vikings have squandered 23 or more points in three of their past five games.
In addition, the Lions continue to play without two of their best DBs, Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph. They have surrendered 30 or more points in three of their past five games and an average of 31.5 points in that span. The over cashed by 3.5 points in the first meeting between these teams last month. The over is a convincing 5-0 in the Lions' past five games.
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