The Detroit Lions could have rested their starters on Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers with the knowledge that it's a Week 18 tilt with the Minnesota Vikings that will determine the NFC North and the conference's top seed. The San Francisco 49ers, already eliminated from playoff contention, could have also played out the string.

And don't be surprised if the Lions-Vikings winner-take-all finale smashes the Sunday Night Football high mark for this year, either.

The 49ers host the Lions as Detroit tries to keep pace for the NFC's top seed. Here's everything to know for "Monday Night Football" in Week 17.

ESPN's successful revitalization of its Monday Night Football product continued in 2024 as the network just announced this was the second-most watched year since they started airing it in 2006. An average of 15 million viewers checked out MNF this season, trailing only the 2023 campaign and up 12% from 2022's numbers.

Check out our Lions vs. 49ers how-to-watch guide to learn when they play and what free live streams are available ahead of kickoff.

The middle game is the hotly anticipated Week 1 rematch between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles. The first round ends on Monday night when the Minnesota Vikings go on the road to take on the Los Angeles Rams on ESPN and ABC.