2003 · Week 12 · Division

Final

Lions

Detroit

QB Joey Harrington

14·24

Vikings

Minnesota

QB Daunte Culpepper

Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome · dome · astroturf

Closing spread

MIN -10.5

Total

47.5

Model margin

+5.8est.

MIN perspective

Push chance

None

half-point line — cannot push

Win probability

  • Vikings
  • Lions

How each play moved the game.

Vikings winsLions wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

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

Lionsedge mapVikings
  • -0.156EPA / play+0.079
  • 36.7%Success rate45.9%
  • -0.144EPA / dropback+0.164
  • -0.178EPA / rush-0.044
  • 5.6%Explosive rate9.7%
  • 34.9%Third-down rate46.9%
  • 47.3%Red-zone TD rate62.7%
  • 1.04Points / drive1.96
  • 2.6%Turnover rate2.2%
  • -0.013EPA / play allowed-0.008

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. MIN 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

Lions

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Joey Harrington21/4116714

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Joey Harrington23417.00
Shawn Bryson7213.00
Olandis Gary10191.90

Vikings

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Daunte Culpepper20/3019601

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Michael Bennett15734.91
Daunte Culpepper7415.90
Moe Williams5142.80
Kelly Campbell1-7-7.00

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 +10.56.2%7.4%3.2%5.0%3.3%3.1%

Positive margins favour Vikings; negative favour Lions.

Half-point at risk

1.59%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

64.3%

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+5.76