Thank you for reading our Sunday Night Football predictions this season.
If you’re looking for analysis of the SNF contest on Wild Card Weekend, please check out our Commanders vs Buccaneers prediction.
It all comes down to this. The Week 18 edition of Sunday Night Football will see Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings (14-2) visit Ford Field to take on Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions (14-2) in the final game of the NFL regular season, with the NFC North title and No. 1 seed in the conference on the line.
The Vikings enter this titanic clash on a nine-game winning streak after fending off a second-half comeback from the rival Packers on Sunday in a 27-25 victory. Meanwhile, the Lions got revenge for last season’s NFC Championship Game, defeating the 49ers 40-34 in San Francisco on Monday night.
Let’s check out the latest betting odds for this SNF Week 18 matchup before digging into my Vikings vs Lions prediction and best bets.
Updated SNF Odds Comparison
Although Minnesota has won nine straight games, the Vikings have been installed as 2.5-point road underdogs against the Lions.
The Over/Under for this contest is 56.5 points, making it by far the highest total on the Week 18 slate.
All NFL odds referenced below are current as of Thursday, Jan. 2, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
SNF Implied Score & Team Totals
Lions 29.5, Vikings 27
Oddsmakers expect Detroit (33.3 ppg) to fall short of its season-long scoring average, while Minnesota (26.4 ppg) is expected to come in right around its mark.
The latter is surprising since the Lions have conceded 30-plus points in three of their previous four outings.
Take a look at the best Sunday Night Football odds for the 2024-25 NFL season.
Sportsbook Play of the Day
Sunday Night Football Prediction
SNF Score Prediction: Vikings 34, Lions 31
If the first game between these teams is any indication, this winner-take-all showdown should be compelling.
The Lions defeated the previously unbeaten Vikings 31-29 in Week 7, as Jake Bates connected on a 44-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining to tilt the back-and-forth contest in Detroit’s favor. Both teams held (and lost) double-digit leads in a frantic game that was as close on the stat sheet as the scoreboard.
So, what has changed since then? The easy answer to that question is injuries. Dan Campbell’s squad has been decimated, especially on defense. The Lions could field an entire defensive lineup with players on Injured Reserve, which explains why Aaron Glenn’s unit has struggled so mightily over the last month. The potential return of linebacker Alex Anzalone would be a welcome boost, but the team’s top tackler from the previous few seasons won’t solve the issues up front and in the secondary.
Meanwhile, the Vikings are relatively healthy. Their offense has scored 27-plus points in each of their last four games and should be able to continue that streak against a defense that surrendered 34 points to San Francisco, 31 to Green Bay, and 48 to Buffalo in December. Minnesota HC Kevin O’Connell has put quarterback Sam Darnold in positions to excel all season long, and he should be able to cook up some explosive plays against a Lions defense that doesn’t differentiate its scheme a whole lot.
That isn’t the case as much with Brian Flores’ blitz-heavy unit, which serves up some different looks at the line of scrimmage. Although Detroit’s offense has been nearly unstoppable at Ford Field, where they average 35.9 points per game this season, Minnesota’s defense is more likely to force a key stop or turnover, and that could make the difference in what should be a high-scoring affair.
Sunday Night Football Bet Tips
Consider these bet tips and trends before making your Vikings vs Lions bets.
- SNF Unders are 9-6-2 on the season.
- The Vikings (11-4-1) and Lions (11-5) are the NFL’s top two teams against the spread this season.
- Overs are 9-7 in Detroit’s games and 7-9 in Minnesota’s contests so far this campaign.
Sunday Night Football Best Bets
SNF Over/Under Pick: Vikings @ Lions Over 56.5 Points (-110)
This total is ridiculously high, but it’s hard to take the Under when Detroit has both scored and allowed at least 30 points in three of its last four games.
The Lions have converted 68.1% of their offensive red-zone trips into touchdowns this season, while their defense has surrendered six on 73.3% of opponents’ red-zone drives over the last three weeks.
The first meeting went Over this number, and I expect this one to do the same on a fast track.
SNF Pick Against the Spread: Vikings +2.5 (+100) @ Lions
I would hold off on betting this side right now because a three could pop between now and kickoff, but regardless, I’m backing the Vikings in this spot. This game should be close, so we can cover even if Minnesota doesn’t win outright.
We often see the team that lost the first matchup make better adjustments going into the second meeting, and the visitors have had an extra day to prepare and rest up. That advantage could be significant, especially since Dan Campbell decided against resting his key players in last week’s meaningless game against the Niners.
Take the Vikings to cover the spread in this marquee matchup as one of your best NFL bets today.
Sunday Night Football Prop Bet
Jordan Addison: Anytime TD (+125)
While Justin Jefferson demands most of the attention, Addison has thrived in Minnesota’s WR2 role. The second-year pro has 62 receptions for 875 yards and nine touchdowns this season, with all but one of those scores coming since the first matchup against Detroit 11 weeks ago.
Addison has clearly developed a strong bond with Darnold over the second half of the season, earning eight or more targets in six of the previous seven games. He found the end zone in five of those contests, including each of the last two.
In a game with a high total and a potentially trailing game script, I love backing Addison to find the end zone against a vulnerable Detroit secondary at plus-money odds.
Sunday Night Football Parlay
Best SNF Parlay (+1100)
- Vikings ML (+124)
- Sam Darnold: 300+ Pass Yards (+150)
- Justin Jefferson: 100+ Rec Yards (+110)
- Jordan Addison: 60+ Rec Yards (-140)
It’s the last week of the regular season, so let’s have some fun.
I’m sticking to my guns and taking the Vikings to win at plus-money odds. I’m also taking three correlated props, with Darnold to throw for 300-plus yards, Jefferson to have 100 or more receiving yards, and Addison to go for at least 60.
The Lions have surrendered the second-most passing yards in the NFL this season (4,006), which averages out to just over 250 per game. Darnold is fourth in the league in passing yards (4,153) and has thrown for 300 or more yards in three of his last six outings. Jefferson is second in the league in receiving yards (1,479) and has five 100-yard games on the campaign, including two in the previous four weeks. Addison has had 60 or more yards in seven of 14 games this season, exceeding this number in three of his last four outings.
Take a stab at this longshot parlay for an 11-1 return on your investment.
