It has been thirteen seasons since the Detroit Lions have beaten the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis.
It has been even longer since the Detroit Lions were favored to beat the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis.
Going into Sunday's game at the Metrodome, the Lions are a four-point favorite to beat the Vikings in Minnesota's house. How long has it been since that was the case? Well, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com, to find the last time the Lions were favored to win a game in Minnesota, you have to go all the way back to September 20, 1981.
To put that into perspective, 1981 was the last year that the Vikings played their home games at the old Metropolitan Stadium. That means that the Detroit Lions have never been favored to beat the Vikings at the Metrodome. . .until this week.
Incidentally, that game back in 1981 that the Lions were favored in? The Vikings won that afternoon, 26-24, on the strength of 333 passing yards and two touchdowns from Tommy Kramer, including a 59-yard connection with running back Ted Brown.
The Lions are the favorite in this one. Will they be able to meet the burden of the expectations that have been placed upon them. . .something that, with all due respect, the Lions really haven't had to deal with in a while. . .or can the Vikings conjure up some of the ghosts of the past and keep their recent dominance of this series going?
If I were a betting man. . .based on the way these two teams are currently going, I would be more tempted to bet on the former than the latter.
To keep up with the latest odds on this match-up and the rest of the NFL for Week 3, be sure to check out our friends at OddsShark.