2003 · Week 3 · Division

Final

Vikings

Minnesota

QB Daunte Culpepper

23·13

Lions

Detroit

QB Joey Harrington

Ford Field · dome · fieldturf

Closing spread

MIN -4

Total

47.5

Model margin

-0.6est.

DET perspective

Push chance

2.5%est.

the line sits on a key number

Win probability

  • Lions
  • Vikings

How each play moved the game.

Lions winsVikings wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

Vikingsedge mapLions
  • +0.079EPA / play-0.156
  • 45.9%Success rate36.7%
  • +0.164EPA / dropback-0.144
  • -0.044EPA / rush-0.178
  • 9.7%Explosive rate5.6%
  • 46.9%Third-down rate34.9%
  • 62.7%Red-zone TD rate47.3%
  • 1.96Points / drive1.04
  • 2.2%Turnover rate2.6%
  • -0.008EPA / play allowed-0.013

Bar length is league percentile, already oriented so longer is better. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge; rows within ~12 points are washed as even.

The rivalry

MIN lead 36–18 since 1999

MIN have won 2 straight. Meetings average 44.5 points. DET are 25-25-4 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2025 · W17DET @ MIN1023MIN
2025 · W9MIN @ DET2724MIN
2024 · W18MIN @ DET931DET
2024 · W7DET @ MIN3129DET
2023 · W18MIN @ DET2030DET
2023 · W16DET @ MIN3024DET
2022 · W14MIN @ DET2334DET
2022 · W3DET @ MIN2428MIN

Box score

Individual performances

Vikings

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Gus Frerotte8/1918411
Daunte Culpepper7/1310500

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Moe Williams13957.30
Daunte Culpepper2168.02
Kelly Campbell11212.00
Onterrio Smith231.50
Gus Frerotte410.30

Lions

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Joey Harrington24/4223503

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Shawn Bryson17492.91
Joey Harrington3196.30
Olandis Gary581.60
Eddie Drummond111.00

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line -42.8%4.5%3.0%7.4%7.3%2.9%4.3%2.6%

Positive margins favour Lions; negative favour Vikings.

Half-point at risk

2.48%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

47.3%

Expected total

45.3est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)-3.20
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin-0.64