There’s nothing like spending the holidays in the Midwest. NFC North rivals meet on Christmas Day as the Minnesota Vikings host the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium.
While the Vikings (7–8, 4th NFC North) have already been eliminated from playoff contention, they’d take great joy in dragging their eighth-seeded division rival Lions (8–7, 3rd NFC North) down with them.
The teams first met in Week 9 in Detroit, where the Vikings edged out a 27–24 victory. But with JJ McCarthy sidelined with a hand fracture, Minnesota will turn to undrafted rookie Max Brosmer for just his second start of the season — a worrying development not only for fans but also for star receiver Justin Jefferson.
Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. ET. Detroit enters as a 7.5-point road favorite, while Minnesota sits as a +300 underdog. The game’s total is set at 53.5 points.
Ahead of the Christmas Day matchup, here is my favorite Justin Jefferson prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Best Justin Jefferson Prop Bet for Lions vs. Vikings
Best Bet: Justin Jefferson Under 63.5 Receiving Yards (-113)
Know someone with Justin Jefferson on their fantasy team? Make sure to give them a hug this holiday season. Minnesota’s star wideout has been a victim of dreadful quarterback play, hauling in just 72 of 125 targets (58%) for 917 yards and two touchdowns — teetering on the brink of falling below 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his six-year NFL career.
He had a bounce-back performance in Week 16 against the New York Giants, corralling six of eight targets for 85 yards. That marked Jefferson’s first game topping 63.5 receiving yards since Week 8 against the Los Angeles Chargers — a brutal stretch including just 47 yards against the Lions in Week 9, though he did find the end zone.
For the rematch, Jefferson will be leaning on undrafted rookie Max Brosmer. The former University of Minnesota standout showed promise against the Giants after JJ McCarthy went down with a hand fracture, completing seven of nine passes for 52 yards. The highlight? A fourth-quarter, 21-yard connection with Jefferson that set up the game-deciding field goal and helped the former LSU standout crush his over.
Still, Brosmer’s second start under center could become another roadblock to Jefferson’s overall output. Leading the charge against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13, Brosmer dished out as many interceptions as Jefferson had receiving yards (4).
While the Detroit secondary has been spotty this season, it won’t be Jefferson’s only hurdle. Expect the 26-year-old receiver to fall short of 63.5 receiving yards for the eighth time in nine games on Christmas Day.
