Projected Line: Detroit by 1 point
I believe this game should really be a close contest, where I'll be glad to take the most stable team of the two on the field today plus the points in here. Detroit won't be in full force for today, with QB Matthew Stafford struggling with a hamstring injury. This can become very problematic against the very good pass rush of the Vikings, who can certainly hit Stafford today and put him in a very delicate situation. This is extremely problematic for them, as Detroit's offense depends almost exclusively on their passing game, as even though Mikel LeShoure gave the running game an extra gear last week against Tennessee, Minnesota has a very good run defense and they won't allow a lot of yardage to the Lions' Running Backs today. So, with Minnesota's pass rush putting the injured Stafford in trouble, hurrying him not to be able to expose Minnesota's questionable secondary and with Detroit's running game being likely to be ineffective against the Vikings' front seven, I believe Detroit will have a tough day on offense today.
With Detroit struggling on offense, they become an easy team to beat, as their defense isn't good enough to compensate any kind of lack of offensive effectiveness. Their Defensive Line may be aggressive, but QB Christian Ponder is a very mobile and assertive Quarterback, who should be able to explore the holes in the Lions defense. Detroit also struggles on run defense, especially against powerful Running Backs and even though Adrian Peterson is still a bit far from his best, he is already more than able to pound Detroit with some good runs. Minnesota's offense may not be spectacular, but they have a very solid unit that plays a lot of smart football, something that Detroit's defense lacks, as they play mostly with their heart and not with their head.
So, I'll be taking Minnesota today, as not only they are right now playing at least as well as Detroit, as they are the smarter and most solid team, making them a very valuable underdog today. I'm taking the Vikings plus the points in here.
Pick: 3 units (Single Dime Play) on 207 Minnesota Vikings (+4,5) @ -110 / 1.91 on 5Dimes
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