Detroit Lions vs Chicago Bears Pick and Preview

Posted on December 8, 2023

NFC North Divisional Matchup

Point Spread: Lions -3.5 | Total Points: 43

Heading into the game, the Lions are the 3rd ranked team in the NFC with a record of 9-3. Against other teams in the Conference, they have a mark of 6-2. The Lions notched a victory in their previous game, defeating the Saints with a score of 33-28. Detroit was favored by 4 against the Saints and notched an ATS victory. With a set over/under line of 47.5 points, the game concluded with a combined total of 61 points, surpassing the betting line.

Coming into this week’s NFC matchup vs the Lions, the Bears have a below .500 record at 4-8. In their most recent matchup, the Bears secured a win against the Vikings with a final score of 12-10. While picking up the win, the Bears also covered the spread as 3-point underdogs. The under hit in the Bears’ most recent game, where the teams’ combined total was 22 points. The line prior to the game stood at 43.5.

Detroit Lions vs Chicago Bears History

Last season, the Lions and Bears met up two times, with the Lions going 2-0. Against the spread, the Lions went 2-0, while the over/under record in these games was 1-1 on an average of 56 points per game. The Lions’ offense finished their head-to-head matchups with 413.5 yards per game of offense. As for the Bears, they averaged 319 yards offensively.

The last ten head-to-head matchups between then Bears and Lions have gone in favor of the Bears, putting together a record of 6-4. In the last five head-to-head games between the Lions and Bears, the average combined point total is 47 points per game. The over/under record in these matchups is 2-3.

Notable Injuries

Detroit Lions

Hendon Hooker – Knee (Questionable)
Zonovan Knight – Shoulder (Out)
Malcolm Rodriguez – Ankle (Questionable)
Alim McNeill – Knee (Out)
Halapoulivaati Vaitai – Back (Out)
Nate Sudfeld – Knee (Out)
Frank Ragnow – Knee/back/toe (Questionable)
Scott Daly – Knee (Out)
Jason Cabinda – Knee (Out)
Matt Nelson – Ankle (Out)
C.J. Gardner-Johnson – Pectoral (Out)
Emmanuel Moseley – Knee (Out)
Mohamed Ibrahim – Hip (Out)
Shane Zylstra – Knee (Out)
James Houston – Ankle (Out)

Chicago Bears

Yannick Ngakoue – Knee (Questionable)
Equanimeous St. Brown – Pectoral (Questionable)
Noah Sewell – Knee (Probable)

Keys To Victory: Detroit Lions

Jared Goff and the NFL’s 6th head to Chicago looking to take care of business, as they are the -3.5 point favorites on the spread. This season, he has completed 67.7% of his passes, leading an average of 274 yards per game in the passing attack. Overall, he is 4th among QB’s in passing yards and 5th in attempts. Amon-Ra St. Brown has been targeted 115 times this season and has caught 84 passes. He comes into the game with a total of 1042 receiving yards. The Lions are currently averaging 4.6 yards per rushing attempt while carrying the ball an average of 29.8 times per game. In terms of rushing yardage, they hold the 4th position in the league.

Keys To Victory: Chicago Bears

As the Bears prepare to take on the Detroit, they be looking to build on their success in the passing game. Justin Fields has the team ranked 25th in passing yards per game and is ranked 28th among quarterbacks in yards through the air. As a team, they are throwing the ball 30.4 attempts per game. Wide receiver DJ Moore is pacing the Bears with 1003 receiving yards. Overall, he has 70 catches on 93 targets. The team has had their problems on offense despite being one of the better rushing units in the NFL. On the season, Chicago is averaging 137.7 yards per game on the ground, good for 3rd in the league.

Betting Trends

Across their last three road contests, Detroit has been good against the spread, posting a mark of 2-1. Their overall mark in these games was 2-1 while averaging 26 points per game.
In their last ten games at home, the Bears have a straight-up record of 2-8 while going 4-6 vs. the spread. The team averaged 17 points per game in this stretch.
Through their last three games as the betting underdog, the Bears have a strong record vs the spread, going 3-0. Their straight-up mark in these contests is 1-2.
Against the spread, the Lions have put together 1-2 in their last three games as the betting favorite. In these same games, they went 2-1 straight up.