NFL Week 14 expert picks: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings

The Detroit Lions enter Sunday as 13-point underdogs, the biggest line they’ve seen all year. It’s an interesting point spread, considering the Lions have not lost a single game by more than 12 points all year. In fact, all but one of their games was decided by just a single possession.

Of course, that lone exception came in Week 7 against... the Minnesota Vikings. After a back-and-forth first half, the Vikings took over in the final two quarters, outscoring Detroit 21-10.

That was in Detroit. Sunday, they’ll play in Minnesota.

Since that game, things have only gotten worse for the Lions. Sure, they may have stayed competitive in every game—and even held the lead each week—but they’ve lost five of their last six since that game, including five straight.

The Vikings, on the other hand, have won three of their last five, but those wins didn’t exactly come against great teams (Washington, Dallas, Denver). In fact, when you look at their schedule, they don’t truly have a quality win on their resume. Any time they’ve been challenged by a great team (Packers, Chiefs, Seahawks), they’ve left with an L.

Of course, the Lions aren’t a great team. So it should come as no surprise that not a single staffer is picking Detroit to pull off the double-digit upset. Here are our picks for Week 14.

Justin Simon (7-5): 27-13 Vikings
John Whiticar (7-5): 33-17 Vikings
Kyle Yost (7-5): 28-17 Vikings
Kellie Rowe (5-4): 31-17 Vikings
Jeremy Reisman (6-6): 31-20 Vikings
Mike Payton (6-6): Vikings win
Mansur Shaheen (6-6): 34-17 Vikings
Ryan Mathews (6-6): 28-17 Vikings
Alex Reno (5-6): N/A
Hamza Baccouche (5-7): 35-19 Vikings
Levi Blue (5-8): 34-17 Vikings
Andrew Kato (4-6): N/A
Chris Perfett (3-9): 69-5 Vikings

Now it’s your turn to submit your scores. Vote for the winner in the poll below and share your score prediction in the comment section below.