NFL
NFL week 16 preview: Lions to roar to NFC North title?
We are even closer to the playoffs and there are some exciting matchups in the coming week across both NFC and AFC conferences.
With the Detroit Lions travelling to Minnesota to face the Vikings, and the Miami Dolphins hosting the Dallas Cowboys, this week is sure to excite us avid football fans.
We preview two marquee matchups from Week 16 below.
Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings
To kick things off, we begin with the leaders of the NFC North, the Detroit Lions, travelling to the U.S. Bank Stadium to face division rivals Minnesota Vikings in a fixture with play-off implications for both. The Lions can clinch the NFC North title with a victory here, their first division title for 30 years. On the other hand, Minnesota are still on the hunt for a wildcard playoff place and a win here will certainly help their chances of doing so.
Minnesota have been shaky lately to say the least, only winning one of their last four and that was a low scoring 3-0 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Before those four, a five-game winning streak helped them kickstart their playoff push but they have seriously lost momentum since then.
Rejuvenated this season under head coach Dan Campbell, the Detroit Lions will find themself in the post-season with a victory here and will be eager to do so on Sunday. They will need no extra motivation to wrap up the division, but what better way to do so against a divisional opponent.
Both teams are filled with offensive playmakers at the skill positions, Lions first year tight-end Sam Laporta and running back Jahmyr Gibbs have elevated this offense to another level this season and have given Quarterback Jared Goff two fantastic options to give the ball to. Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions) anytime touchdown is priced at 6/5.
On the other side of the ball, the Vikings have a rookie wide receiver in Jordan Addison who is slowly making a name for himself and is becoming the perfect complimentary receiver to star receiver Justin Jefferson. Addison (Vikings) over 51.5 receiving yards is available at 5/6.
The Lions will be desperate to wrap the division up here and will be targeting this game as they face a dangerous Dallas Cowboys side next week. Minnesota might be able to keep this one close with their stubborn defence but expect the Lions to win this one and see themselves into the playoffs. The Detroit Lions are 5/8 to win this on the money line.
Dallas Cowboys @ Miami Dolphins
Now this is a must-watch match-up this weekend. These are two teams who are leading their divisions but also two teams who have work to do at the end of the regular season to secure a strong playoff draw as the post-season is only a few weeks away. There are some similarities between the Cowboys and the Dolphins, both teams are very strong home teams but struggle to perform when on the road. Also, both have been strong against opponents with losing records but really struggle against teams with winning records, so what do we expect from this puzzle of a fixture?
There are some injury concerns for both the Dallas and Miami, more specifically the star receiver of the league and potential league MVP Tyreek Hill of the Dolphins, who missed the last game against the Jets, but did practice on Thursday and is tending towards playing. Dallas have a few players who will be game-time decisions including offensive linemen Zack Martin and Tyron Smith, who both did not practice mid-week. One player who will be likely to continue his form is Dak Prescott and we expect over 36.5 passing attempts at 5/6 from the Cowboy’s QB.
Dallas were unable to stop the run in a crushing defeat to the Bills, a game we covered last week, and may find themselves behind early if they cannot stop this Miami offense who have been electric all year. Raheem Mostert, Miami’s lead running back, leads the league in rushing touchdowns, and could certainly take advantage, provided his involvement isn’t hindered by his own injury doubts. Raheem Mostert (Dolphins) anytime touchdown is priced at 3/4.
We can expect Dallas to want to bounce back from last week’s disappointment, but this is not the rivals they would have picked to face after the bruising at the hands of the Bills, and the Miami Dolphins might have too much firepower for them too. A tough game to call, this could either become a shootout between two offenses who can turn it on at any given moment, or a tight, scrappy affair between two injury-ridden, temperamental teams. Will be an interesting watch whichever way you put it, with a lot on the line for both. However, we’re just leaning towards the Dolphins and they are 4/5 on the money line.
