Lions at Vikings Week 3 Preview and Prediction

Detroit Lions

Are the Lions good? Through two weeks, they have put up almost 80 points on offense. It's been an explosion like we haven't seen in Detroit since Matt Stafford was hooking up with Megatron for huge gains and amazing catches. They absolutely crushed the Washington Commanders, putting up score after score and they could do nothing to stop them. The Eagles are viewed as one of the best teams in the NFC, and they lost to them by just three points. This team can hang, and they no longer are the total pushover that we have all come to know for years. They are 2-0 ATS to start the year, and I think oddsmakers are starting to adjust a little bit to the fact they could be pretty good.

This is a dead over team this year as well. For as good as the offense is, the defense is just as bad. They have given up close to 80 points in two games, and they have been destroyed through the air by both the Eagles and Commanders. That will be the weakness of this team, and I expect totals for them to be through the roof. Both of those first two games went over and it wasn't even close.

Minnesota Vikings

After gaining so much hype for their performance in Week 1 against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, the Vikings came out in Week 2 and laid an absolute egg against the Philadelphia Eagles. They looked awful on both sides of the ball, but the offense was most noticeable. Kirk Cousins looked like standard primetime Cousins once again, and he is now 2-10 on Monday Night Football over his career. He did come into this game on a two game winning streak on MNF, but that ended quickly. The vaunted WR corp of Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen was shut down, and Dalvin Cook got nothing going on the ground.

The defense looked pretty poor, allowing 333 passing yards to Jalen Hurts. Under the circumstances, I think they actually kept the Vikings in the game. This could have been far worse if not for the defense holding Philadelphia to 24 points. They didn't allow a 100-yard rusher or 100-yard receiver. This loss was not on them.

Now against the Lions, the offense should be able to get right against a poor defense.

My Prediction

If the Lions are getting six points, I will take them. I don't see the difference between these two teams being that huge, even on the road. The Vikings have to prove that they can keep up in a shootout, and that is exactly what they should get here in Week 3. I'll take the points and hope for a close outcome.