Packers vs Lions betting odds, spread, over/under and prediction

The NFL’s strongest division has three teams in the chase for the one seed heading into the final month of the regular season, and Thursday night’s game from Detroit is going to have a trickle effect of how the playoff picture pans out. It’s the Lions hosting the Packers in a massive primetime match up in the NFC North from Ford Field.

Match up: Packers vs. Lions

The Lions have been the best team in the NFL since Week 1. Period. There has been no wavering. There have been only peaks and no valleys this year for Dan Campbell’s team. Detroit has been consistent. They have been dominant and their 11-1 record accurately reflects just how good they are, unlike that other 11-1 team in the AFC. They are coming off a narrow win over the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving, and storm into Week 14 looking for their 11th straight win. They have been able to rattle off 10 in a row in a variety of different ways. Sometimes it’s Jared Goff leading the charge. Other times it’s the dynamic backfield duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs running wild against the opposition. On the rare occasion that the offense isn’ clicking, the Aiden Hutchinson-less defense can carry the load even without one of the game’s best pass rushers. The boys from the Motor City have been rolling but the Packers are looking to knock them off the tracks and tighten the race for home field advantage in the NFC.

We came into the season expecting a lot from the Packers. After Jordan Love’s first season as the QB1 in Green Bay showed all sorts of promise we expected immediate improvement coming into this year. There were some bumps in the road, and Love had to battle through a couple early season injuries as the Pack started the season 2-2 after four weeks. Four wins in a row calmed the storms on the Frozen Tundra, but they would have that streak snapped by this very Lions team in Lambeau in Week 9, right before their BYE week. Since their week off, the Packers have built up another three game win streak after a “block off” win against the Bears, and two blowouts over the Niners and Dolphins. The question is, is this Packers team elite? They can answer that question with a win in Detroit on Thursday night.

These are two of the most historic teams in the league, so of course they have a long and bitter history that dates back to the 1930s. The division rivals have met 190 times, and the Packers have had the historical edge with a record of 106-77-7. While Green Bay may be leading overall, recent history sides with the Lions who have won five of the last six including the match up earlier this year. Love was a bit banged up in that game, and that could have effected him on the biggest play of the game when he threw a pick six right into the hands of Kirby Joseph in the Lions 24-14 win.

Odds, spread and Over/Under

Both teams are rolling heading into Thursday night’s NFC North royal rumble. The Lions have won 10 straight games, and have had the upper hand over the Packers in the last few years. Detroit goes into Thursday night as a 3.5 point favorite with the Over/Under set at 51.5 points.

Prediction

Both of these teams are coming off of games last Thursday, which is always important to consider in “short week” games. I think both of these teams come into this team fresh, and ready for a scrap. The Lions are going to want to run and run, and the question is going to be can the Packers keep up? Josh Jacobs has been excellent especially in the last few games, but this games is going to come down to Jordan Love and Jared Goff. I’m taking Goff and the Lions in a shootout.

Lions win 42-27.