Pundits release adjusted Lions-Vikings odds after major McCarthy injury update

The Detroit Lions visit the Minnesota Vikings on a high-stakes Christmas Day show on Netflix with massive playoff implications. While the 7-8 Vikings have been eliminated from postseason contention, they can officially play spoiler for their division rivals. Detroit (8-7) enters the holiday game needing a win to keep its slim wild-card hopes alive.

The Vikings’ quest to ruin Detroit’s Christmas will continue without starting rookie JJ McCarthy, who was sidelined Tuesday with a hairline fracture in his hand. Undrafted rookie Max Brosmer will make his second career start in place of McCarthy. Brosmer provided a holiday spark last week by leading the game-winning drive against the Giants and will look to complete a season sweep of the Lions today.

Detroit faces a “must win” scenario, as a loss tonight would officially eliminate them from the 2025 postseason. The Lions must find a way to stop a Vikings team that has won three straight despite a quarterback shakeup. The move to Brosmer in a short week prompted analysts to immediately reevaluate their game day projections.

The results of these simulations were compared to the bookmaker’s updated odds to compile the data-driven Lions-Vikings game day overview below.

Lions vs. Betting Preview Vikings

Explore the interactive widget below to see the latest spread, over/under and moneyline betting odds and odds for the Lions-Vikings game at US Bank Stadium.

This prediction and best bet for Thursday’s NFL game between the Lions and the Vikings is from Dimers.comthe leader in sports betting predictions.

Check out all the important details on today’s game as well as the best odds from the best bookmakers in the country.

Game details

Key information you need ahead of Lions vs. Vikings NFL.

• Teams: Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings
• data: Thursday, December 25, 2025
• Excavations: 4:30 PM EST
• Location: US Bank Stadium
• NFL standings: Current NFL Division Standings
• NFL Injuries: Check out the latest updates on the NFL’s official injury report

Courses

The latest and best NFL odds for the Lions vs. Vikings game.

• Spreads: Lions -7.5 (-105), Vikings +7.5 (-115)
• Moneylines: Lions -370, Vikings +300
• Total: Over 43.5 (-105/-110)

The odds and lines shown here are the best available from selected sports betting sites at the time of publication and are subject to change.

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Expert Prediction: Lions vs. Vikings

Using trusted data analysis and machine learning, Dimers experts ran 10,000 simulations of Thursday’s Lions vs. Vikings matches.

According to Dimers’ highly regarded predictive analytics model, The Lions are more likely to beat the Vikings at US Bank Stadium. This prediction is based on a model that gives the Lions a 76% chance of winning the game.

In addition, Dimers predicts that the Vikings (+7.5) have a 54% chance of covering the spread, while a 43.5 point over/under is considered the same chance of hitting 50-50.

These predictions and probabilities are correct at the time of publication but are subject to change.

Best bet Lions vs. Vikings

Our best tip for Lions vs. Vikings Week 17 NFL is to bet on Vikings +7.5 (-115).

This expert betting advice is formulated using state-of-the-art modeling and valuable betting intelligence to help you make smarter decisions.

Score Prediction for Lions vs. Vikings

Dimers Projected Final Score for Thursday’s Detroit vs. Minnesota means the Lions won 25-18.

This expert prediction is based on each team’s average score after 10,000 game simulations and offers insight into the potential outcome.

NFL Player Supporters: Thursday

NFL player prop bets are a great way to bet on Thursday’s game without necessarily betting on the outcome.

This article contains the most likely first and all-time touchdown scorers for the Lions and Vikings, as well as projected player statistics.

Detroit Lions

First Touchdown Scorer Predictions

• Jahmyr Gibbs: 18.3% probability
• Amun-Ra St. Brown: 11.2% probability.
• David Montgomery: 8.1% probability

Anytime landing predictions

• Jahmyr Gibbs: 68.1% probability.
• Amun-Ra St. Brown: 50.3% probability
• David Montgomery: 39.5% probability

Predicted Box Score Leaders

• QB Passing Yards: Jared Goff245 yards
• Receiving Yards: Amun-Ra St. Brown82 yards
• Rushing yards: Jahmyr Gibbs77 yards

Minnesota Vikings

First Touchdown Scorer Predictions

• Justin Jefferson: 7.6% probability.
• Jordan Addison: 6.7% probability.
• Jalen Nailor: 5.0% chance

Anytime landing predictions

• Justin Jefferson: 28.6% probability
• Jordan Addison: 25.9% probability
• Jalen Nailor: 19.9% ​​probability

Predicted Box Score Leaders

• QB Passing Yards: Max Brosmer179 yards
• Receiving Yards: Justin Jefferson64 yards
• Rushing yards: Aaron Jones60 yards

NFL Week 17: Lions vs. Vikings

Get ready for Thursday’s Week 17 action between the Lions and Vikings National Football League season at US Bank Stadium, scheduled to begin at 4:30 PM EST. Please note that all NFL predictions and best NFL bets on this page are derived from 10,000 data-driven simulations of Lions vs. Vikings and are accurate at time of publication. Their aim is to help you make more informed decisions when placing bets at online bookmakers.

Please note that it is important to practice responsible gambling and consult accurate and up-to-date information from reliable sources when betting online.

If you or someone you love has questions or needs to speak with a gambling professional, call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit 1800gambler.net for more information.