Task Enterprises presentsNFL Intelligence

2020 · Week 17 · Division

Final

Vikings

Minnesota

QB Kirk Cousins

37·35

Lions

Detroit

QB Matthew Stafford

Ford Field · dome · fieldturf

Closing spread

MIN -3

Total

54

Model margin

-2.1est.

DET perspective

Push chance

7.5%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
  • +0.089EPA / play+0.014
  • 49.1%Success rate45.5%
  • +0.175EPA / dropback+0.103
  • -0.025EPA / rush-0.156
  • 11.4%Explosive rate8.4%
  • +4.45CPOE-1.27
  • 41.2%Third-down rate41.6%
  • 74.1%Red-zone TD rate63.0%
  • 2.30Points / drive2.14
  • 2.1%Turnover rate1.9%

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
Kirk Cousins28/4040530

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Alexander Mattison21954.51
Mike Boone5295.80
Kirk Cousins510.21

Receiving

PlayerRecTgtYdsTD
Justin Jefferson9121330
Adam Thielen45570
Alexander Mattison33501
Chad Beebe23441
Tyler Conklin36400
Irv Smith23300
Ameer Abdullah3371

Lions

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Matthew Stafford20/3129331

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Adrian Peterson7639.01
D'Andre Swift12544.51
Matthew Stafford294.50
Mohamed Sanu133.00

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 -33.0%4.7%3.1%7.5%7.0%2.7%4.1%

Positive margins favour Lions; negative favour Vikings.

Half-point at risk

7.51%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

43.3%

Expected total

48.5est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)-3.76
  • Home-field advantage+1.71
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential-0.08
  • Expected margin-2.13