2004 · Week 15 · Division

Final

Vikings

Minnesota

QB Daunte Culpepper

28·27

Lions

Detroit

QB Joey Harrington

Ford Field · dome · fieldturf

Closing spread

MIN -3

Total

48.5

Model margin

+1.0est.

DET perspective

Push chance

7.2%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
  • +0.162EPA / play-0.071
  • 50.0%Success rate39.8%
  • +0.287EPA / dropback-0.086
  • -0.097EPA / rush-0.046
  • 10.7%Explosive rate9.0%
  • 52.5%Third-down rate32.3%
  • 64.5%Red-zone TD rate51.0%
  • 2.26Points / drive1.23
  • 2.0%Turnover rate1.9%
  • +0.107EPA / 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
Daunte Culpepper25/3540431

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Michael Bennett13513.90
Daunte Culpepper4225.50
Moe Williams2126.01
Onterrio Smith461.50

Lions

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Joey Harrington25/4436122

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Kevin Jones19794.21
Shawn Bryson2199.50
Joey Harrington3134.30

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 -34.2%2.8%7.2%7.4%3.0%4.6%2.8%

Positive margins favour Lions; negative favour Vikings.

Half-point at risk

7.22%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

51.8%

Expected total

47.3est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)-1.54
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+1.03