Vikings-Lions Week 7 score predictions from the Vikings On SI staff

Will the Vikings move to 6-0 this season or slip up for the first time in 2024?

Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell reacts during the game against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Coming out of their bye week, the Vikings are back at U.S. Bank Stadium this week for their most important game of the season thus far. Standing in between Kevin O'Connell's team and a whole bunch of nice things — a 6-0 record, a multi-game lead in the NFC North, and the No. 1 seed in the NFC — are the 4-1 Detroit Lions, who have dropped 89 points over their last two outings. This promises to be quite the showdown between two division rivals who rank as the top two teams in the NFL in both point differential and DVOA. The fact that it's a 12 p.m. CT game sells it short.

The Vikings are slight 1.5-point favorites over a Lions team that just lost top defensive player Aidan Hutchinson to a season-ending injury. So who wins this one? Our staff writers have made their picks.

Will Ragatz: Vikings 30, Lions 27

Anything could happen here, but I think this will be a thriller that lives up to the hype. Coming off the bye, I expect Sam Darnold to have a bounce-back performance and connect on several big plays with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Aaron Jones being expected to play is huge. And although the Lions will put up plenty of points in the fascinating matchup between their elite offense and the Vikings' league-best defense, Brian Flores' group will snag at least one key takeaway. In the end, I think Will Reichard wins it with a long field goal in the final seconds. I'll say what I've said for a while: I'm going to keep picking the Vikings until I see a reason not to.

Joe Nelson: Vikings 38, Lions 23

You take away 38 percent of Detroit’s QB pressures (via Hutchinson's absence) and all of a sudden Sam Darnold has all day to throw. If Minnesota’s interior doesn’t get destroyed by DTs Alim McNeill and Levi Onwuzurike, Darnold could light up the Lions. I think it happens.

Jonathan Harrison: Vikings 30, Lions 28

The Vikings have used the week off to reset after six rough quarters for the offense. Kevin O'Connell will have Sam Darnold back on track and handling a Lions defense that will be learning to play without all-world pass rusher Aiden Hutchinson. Minnesota's defense will have a huge test themselves, trying to slow down a Lions offense that has put up big numbers in each of their last two games. This one won't be a blowout and will probably come down to a last-second game-winning kick by one of these two big-legged kickers.

Nolan O'Hara: Vikings 27, Lions 21

Entering Sunday’s game against the Vikings, the Detroit Lions are coming off the emotional high of blowing out the Dallas Cowboys last week and the emotional low of losing star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a broken leg. That’s a lot to work through heading into Sunday’s game against a Kevin O’Connell-led Vikings team that’s had two weeks to prepare for the Lions and get healthier. Aaron Jones practiced on Thursday and Friday, which indicates he’ll likely at least try to play on Sunday. The Lions are tough, but after the emotions of last week, Detroit will have too much going against it facing an unbeaten Vikings team that’s had an extra week of preparation.

Tony Liebert: Lions 27, Vikings 20

The injury bug has finally hit the Vikings. With Blake Cashman out and Aaron Jones and Harrison Phillips banged up, the Vikings may need to showcase their depth against the Lions. Minnesota has allowed more than 20 points only once this season, but I think Ben Johnson and Detroit's explosive offense will crack Brian Flores' defensive code and end the Vikings' magical undefeated start to the season.

These were our London predictions before the bye. Season records for our pickers:

Will: 5-0
Joe: 5-0
Nolan: 3-2
Jonathan: 3-2
Tony: 0-5