NFC North champion Lions hope to beat Vikings and get some help to secure No. 2 seed in NFC playoffs

MINNESOTA (7-9) at DETROIT (11-5)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, FOX

OPENING LINE: Lions by 3 1/2, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Vikings 7-7-2, Lions 11-5.

SERIES RECORD: Vikings lead 80-42-2.

LAST MEETING: Lions beat Vikings 30-24 at Minnesota on Dec. 24.

LAST WEEK: Vikings lost to Packers 33-10, Lions lost to Cowboys 20-19.

VIKINGS OFFENSE: OVERALL (12), RUSH (27), PASS (6), SCORING (22)

VIKINGS DEFENSE: OVERALL (16), RUSH (9), PASS (18), SCORING (12)

LIONS OFFENSE: OVERALL (3), RUSH (4), PASS (3), SCORING (T-5).

LIONS DEFENSE: OVERALL (15), RUSH (5), PASS (T-25), SCORING (23).

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Vikings minus-10; Lions minus-2.

VIKINGS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR Justin Jefferson. With 882 receiving yards, a fourth straight 1,000-yard season remains in play for the fourth-year star despite missing much of the season. He had a seven-game absence because of a severely strained hamstring and a chest injury that forced him out early from another game. Jefferson had six catches for 141 yards and a TD against the Lions two weeks ago.

LIONS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Jared Goff. He had two INTs in last week's loss at Dallas and his second-worst passer rating this season. Goff threw a career-high matching five TDs in his previous home game. He ranks third in the NFL with 4,225 yards passing and is tied for fourth with 28 passing TDs. Goff has 12 INTs, his highest total since 2020 in his fifth and final season with the Rams.

KEY MATCHUP: Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson vs. Vikings RT Brian O’Neill. Hutchinson, who leads the Lions with 9½ sacks, had four QB hits at Minnesota two weeks ago while O’Neill was sidelined by a sprained ankle. The Vikings have allowed 16 sacks over their past four games. Hutchinson had a career-high four tackles for losses last week.

KEY INJURIES: Vikings TE and former Lions standout T.J. Hockenson suffered a season-ending knee injury against Detroit two weeks ago. ... Vikings CB Byron Murphy (knee) has missed the past two games. ... Detroit is hoping DT Alim McNeill (knee) returns from a one-month absence and DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson (torn pectoral) plays for the first time since Week 2. ... Lions OT Taylor Decker (groin) and WR Jameson Williams (ankle) didn’t practice Wednesday.

SERIES NOTES: Detroit clinched its first division title two weeks ago at Minnesota. ... Lions rookie RB Jahmyr Gibbs had two rushing TDs, Amon-Ra St. Brown had 106 receiving yards and a third-quarter go-ahead score and DB Ifeatu Melifonwu had the game-sealing INT at the 5-yard line with 49 seconds left to hold off the injury-ravaged Vikings for a six-point win. ... Detroit is aiming to win three straight in the series for the first time since the 2016-17 seasons.

STATS AND STUFF: Minnesota can clinch a playoff berth with a win at Detroit and losses by Green Bay and Seattle along with a loss by Tampa Bay or New Orleans. ... Vikings QB Nick Mullens will make his third start. He replaced rookie Jaren Hall after halftime last week, the fifth change at the position in nine games since Kirk Cousins torn an Achilles tendon. ... The Vikings have 26 turnovers from the QB position this season, tied for the most in the NFL with Cleveland. … Minnesota WR Jordan Addison needs 146 receiving yards and one TD to become the 11th player in league history with a 1,000-yard, 10-touchdown rookie season. … The Vikings have allowed just two rushes of 20-plus yards this season … Minnesota leads the NFL with 22 forced fumbles. … The Vikings are 5-2 when leading after the third quarter. ... Minnesota OLB Danielle Hunter is tied for the league lead with 21 tackles for losses and has an NFC-high 15 1/2 sacks. ... Hunter was picked for the Pro Bowl for a fourth time, and long snapper Andrew DePaola was selected for a second time. ... The Lions will be the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs unless they win, Dallas loses at Washington and Philadelphia loses at the New York Giants. ... If Detroit wins, it will tie the 1991 team for the franchise record with 12 victories and will avoid losing consecutive games in a season for the first time since 1972. ... Detroit had five players picked to play in the Pro Bowl: C Frank Ragnow (three) and OT Penei Sewell (two) have multiple selections while Hutchinson, TE Sam LaPorta and special teams ace Jalen Reeves-Mabin were chosen for the first time. ... LaPorta has 81 catches, matching Keith Jackson (1988) for the most by an NFL TE in his first season. ... St. Brown has career highs with 112 catches and nine TDs. ... RB David Montgomery has 12 rushing TDs, four more than he had in any of his four seasons in Chicago.

FANTASY TIP: Goff will likely bounce back. He has 19 TDs, including two rushing, and just six INTs in seven home games.

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