ESPN: Detroit Lions celebration for xmass mass was like…

The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings face off on Sunday afternoon for a massive NFC North contest. These are the only two teams still mathematically eligible to win the division, but the Lions are clearly in the driver’s season. With a three game lead and only three games left, the only way the Lions lose out on the division is if they lose all of their remaining games and the Vikings win all of their remaining games.

But there’s a catch: two of those remaining three games are against each other. What at first was a curious schedule oddity has now becomes a fascinating development in the division race. A sweep from the Vikings gives them a very realistic shot at the division—especially when you consider the Lions’ other game is against a good Cowboys teams, and Minnesota’s third game is against a struggling Packers team.

So will the Lions be able to avoid the drama for the last three weeks of the season and clinch the division on Sunday afternoon? Or are we headed for some high-stakes football in Weeks 17 and 18?

Here’s a look at our picks for Lions vs. Vikings.