Going into the final two weeks of the NFL season is a big intra-divisional match-up between the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day in Week 17.
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
Heading into the week, the Lions are 8-7, which places them in third place in the NFC North. Additionally, they are currently projected not to make the playoffs, as the team is currently the eighth seed in the NFC. The team remains solid on offense behind Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jahmyr Gibbs, but struggles defensively since the departure of former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who became the head coach of the New York Jets.
In contrast, this season has been a complete failure for the Vikings, who have a record of 7-8 and have been eliminated from playoff contention, despite their 14-3 finish last year. The Vikings are the opposite of the Lions: they are much stronger defensively than offensively, and several questions remain about the organization. Is J.J. McCarthy the future? Will Justin Jefferson ask for a trade after a disappointing season? What’s certain is that the team will face tough decisions this offseason.
Game Details
Date: Thursday, December 25, 2025
Time: 4:30 p.m. EST
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
How to Watch
TV: CBS (In-market local stations only)
Live Stream: Netflix and NFL+
Radio: Lions Radio Network, KFAN 100.3-FM/KTLK 1130-AM in Minneapolis/St. Paul, and WestWood One Radio
Broadcast Team
Noah Eagle (Play-by-Play), Drew Brees (Analyst), AJ Ross, and Dianna Russini (Sideline Reporters)
Betting:
Spread: -7.5 Lions
Total: O/U 43.5
Moneyline: -370 Lions, +295 Vikings
How Both Teams Have Performed This Season
This is the second of two games between the Lions and the Vikings this season; the first was on November 2, which ended in a 27-24 win for the Vikings.
This season, the Lions rank eighth in the league in PFSN’s OFFi metrics. The team has a letter grade of B- and an impact score of 82.4. The team is averaging 30.1 points, 255.3 passing yards, 123.4 rushing yards, and 55 total offensive touchdowns per game.
MORE: 3-Round 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Joe Burrow, Myles Garrett Change Teams in Trade-Filled Chaos
As noted earlier, offense isn’t a problem for this team; it’s the defense. In PFSN’s DEFi, they rank 14th in the league with an impact score of 75.7 and a letter grade of C. The team is giving up 24.9 points, 232.5 passing yards, 114.9 rushing yards, and 43 total offensive touchdowns per game.
The Vikings rank 28th in PFSN’s OFFi with an impact score of 66.2 and a letter grade of D. The team is averaging 20.3 points per game, 173.7 passing yards per game, 103.1 rushing yards per game, and 32 total offensive touchdowns.
In PFSN’s DEFi, the team ranks sixth in the league with an impact score of 85.3 and a letter grade of B. The team is giving up 21.3 points, 169.2 passing yards, 127.6 rushing yards, and 31 total offensive touchdowns per game.