Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions Pick and Preview
NFC North Divisional Matchup
Point Spread: Bears +6.0 | Total Points: 52.0
As the Bears prepare for their NFC North matchup against Detroit, they have an overall record of 3-12 and are in the midst of 8 game losing streak. Coming off a 35-13 non-conference loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Bears will look to get back in the win column vs Detroit. Chicago entered the game as 8.5-point underdog on the spread. In terms of the over-under, the teams combined for 48 points, which surpassed the betting line of 40.
Leading into their week 17 NFC North matchup against Chicago, the Lions have an overall record of 7-8. Heading into week 17, the Lions will look to get back in the win column, as they are coming off a 37-23 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Going into the game, the oddsmakers had Lions as the -2.0 favorite. By the end of the game, the teams combined for 60 points, surpassing the betting line of 43.
Bears vs Lions History
In the previous matchup between the two teams, the Lions came out on top by a score of 31-30. This matchup took place back in week 10. Heading into the game, the Lions were the 3.0-point underdogs on the spread, giving them a win vs the spread. The over-under betting line going into the game was set at 48.5 points. The two teams combined to surpass this figure with a total of 61.
In the last 3 head-to-head matchups, the Bears are averaging 23 points per game, compared to the Lions at 19. These figures have led to Chicago posting a record of 2-1. The Bears will be looking to continue their recent success as the road team vs the Lions, as they have a record of 3-0 in their past 3 meetings. In terms of betting, Detroit holds a recent edge vs the spread, going 3-2 in the previous 5 meetings. These games have finished with an average point total of 48, leading to an over-under mark of 3-2.
Notable Injuries
Chicago Bears
- Justin Jones (Eye) Questionable
- Andrew Brown (Ankle) Questionable
- Dante Pettis (Ankle) Questionable
- Sterling Weatherford (Illness) Questionable
- Teven Jenkins (Neck) Probable
- Equanimeous St. Brown (Concussion) Questionable
- Chase Claypool (Knee) Questionable
- Trevon Wesco (Calf) Questionable
- Cody Whitehair (Knee) Questionable
Detroit Lions
- Jason Cabinda (Illness) Probable
- DeShon Elliott (Shoulder) Questionable
- Josh Reynolds (Illness) Questionable
- Frank Ragnow (Foot) Questionable
- Josh Woods (Biceps) Questionable
- Logan Stenberg (Illness) Questionable
- Kerby Joseph (Back) Questionable
- Kayode Awosika (Ankle) Questionable
Keys To Victory: Chicago Bears
If the Bears are going to come away with a road win, they would benefit from putting together a better offensive performance than their season average of just 20.2 points per game. The team’s lackluster offense has contributed 44.0% of the scoring in their games, leading to an average point differential of -6.0. In this week’s matchup, look for the Bears’ offense to attack the Lions’ secondary, as the unit has had its problems defending the pass. For the season, Chicago is averaging 136.5 yards per contest through the air. Chicago quarterback Justin Fields comes into this week’s game having thrown for 2167 yards and has a passer rating of just 88.3. However, there is reason to think he could put together a good game vs the league’s 30th-ranked passing defense. So far, the team’s top receiving threat has been Darnell Mooney, who comes into the game with 493 receiving yards. For the season, he has been the recipient of 26.0% of the pass attempts to wide receivers.
On the ground, the Bears should be able to put in yet another strong performance, as they are currently the 1st ranked team in rush yards per game and face off vs a defense that is vulnerable up front. So far, the team’s leading rusher is David Montgomery, who is averaging 4.0 yards per attempt. Through 14 games, he has rushed for a total of 756 yards on the ground.
Keys To Victory: Detroit Lions
Detroit gets set to take on the Lions averaging 26.1 points per game. Jared Goff and the Lions passing game figures to be a key part of the gameplan, as the team is throwing the ball at a rate above the league average. For the season, Goff has thrown for 3959 yards through the air and has Detroit sitting 8th in passing yards per game. The team’s top receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has caught 72.7% of the passes thrown his way and has accumulated 1050 receiving yards.
In terms of production in the run game, the Lions are 16th in rush yards per contest. However, they have a good matchup against a Bears defense, giving up 151.2 yards per game on the ground. D’Andre Swift is projected to receive a majority of the carries for the team and is averaging 5.4 yards per attempt.
Betting Trends
- Chicago is 2-3 ATS in their last 5 games on the road.
- Chicago is 3-2 ATS in their last 5 games at home.
- Chicago is 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games as the underdog.
- Chicago is 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games as the favorite.
Prediction
This is one of the highest totals of the week. Fantasy owners are very much hoping for a shootout, however, we see a tighter divisional game. We like the Lions to win, the Bears to cover.
Lions 27-24
