Lions
Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers Game Preview
With their win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, the Green Bay Packers claimed the NFC’s top seed. What will Green Bay’s starting lineup look like in Week 18 against Detroit, now that they’ve clinched the top seed? With that in mind, let’s look at the NFL odds for the Packers vs. Lions match-up and the prediction.
The Packers’ top seed is secured thanks to the Cowboys’ defeat.
To clinch the No. 1 seed, Green Bay either needed to win their remaining games or the Cowboys needed to lose one of theirs. The Cardinals handed Dallas that setback and the Packers followed up with a win against the Vikings to clinch the top seed with a game to spare.
They can now choose to rest their starters as they choose which players to play. This would give them two weeks of game respite before returning to the field in the Divisional Round.
The betting line for this game was posted late, implying that the Packers are undecided about whether to rest their starters. The other opinion is that taking two weeks off from competitive football is a terrible idea. Is it better to let them play this week rather than put them into a playoff game in the second round? Davante Adams and Aaron Rodgers both mentioned that they would like to play at least part of the game against Detroit.
The Lions are playing for pride in Detroit
The Lions, on the other hand, are affected by the game on the other side of the NFL. We’re not talking about the play-offs, but rather the first overall choice in the draft. Detroit is now in second place and cannot fall any farther. The Texans, Jets, and Giants, who have all won four games, hold the third, fourth, and fifth choices, respectively. Detroit’s status will not be affected by a third win.
A loss, on the other hand, may propel them into first place, where they had been for the bulk of the season before winning a pair of late games. If the Lions lose, they’ll still need the Jaguars to beat the Colts in the 2022 NFL Draft order.
While they may not have any post-season decisions to make, do they have any quarterback decisions to make? Is Detroit weighing if Jared Goff is the franchise’s long-term future? Absolutely. Do they know the solution or even need to act on it yet? Not totally, at least. In any case, the Lions’ summer will be fascinating, given their cap room and draft capital.
Prediction for the Packers vs. Lions game
Without all the game’s details, which will be released later this week, this is a difficult one. However, based on the current line there is the assumption that the Packers would rest at least some of their starters.
It doesn’t mean a whit to the Packers, and it provides the Lions plenty of momentum heading into the summer. It’s also worth mentioning that Detroit players are vying for roster places on a club that is expected to make a lot of changes in the coming years. They’ll be competing for more than just bragging rights.
- Packers -3 in the spread
- Packers -160, Lions +140 on the Moneyline.
The Detroit Lions kick off the 2023–24 NFL regular season against the Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs, in the nationally televised Thursday night spotlight no less, 5:20 EST at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO.
There is no tougher ask in professional football than taking on the defending champions at home, on Ring Night, against their worldly quarterback and mastermind head coach.
There has not been so much optimism for Detroit fans in years as the Lions look to build on their late-season surge from a year ago. If last year’s trends hold true, plenty of points should be placed on the scoreboard. The underdog Lions should also have a chance to pull off a season-opening stunner.
Keep reading for team news and our Lions vs. Chiefs betting prediction.
Detroit Lions Team News
The Lions (9-8 last year) finished the preseason 2-1 with wins against the Carolina Panthers and N.Y. Giants. The decision was made for QB1 Jared Goff to sit out the entire preseason so that he will see his first game action since last season against the Chiefs.
Last year, the Lions offense ranked 4th in Total Yards Per Game (380 ypg) and 5th in Points Per Game (26.6 ppg). Led by Goff’s 4,438 passing yards and 29 passing TDs, the team finished 8th in Passing Yards Per Game with 251.8 ypg. The Lions offense was well-balanced, finishing 11th in Rushing Yards Per Game at 128.2 per.
Gone, however, from last year’s team are Jamaal Williams (now a Saint) and his 1,000-yard season with 17 rushing touchdowns and the team’s second-leading rusher, D’Andre Swift (552 yards and 5 TDs a year ago), now a Philadelphia Eagle.
Running behind one of the league’s more underrated offensive lines this year will be Alabama rookie Jahmyr Gibbs and veteran David Montgomery, formerly of the Bears. The team’s leading receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown (1,161 yards and 6 TDs last season), is listed as questionable for the opener after suffering a preseason ankle injury.
Of course, the soft spot last year was the Detroit defense. The Lions ranked last in Yards Allowed Per Game (392.3 ypg) and third to last in Points Allowed Per Game at 25.1. The Lions overhauled the secondary, acquiring Cam Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson while drafting Brian Branch out of Alabama. Moseley’s status for the game is uncertain. The team also drafted linebacker Jack Campbell out of Iowa to fill some of those big running lanes. The combination of Aiden Hutchinson (9.5 sacks last year) and James Houston (8 sacks) hope to force the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes into a rare off night.
Kansas City Chiefs Team News
The Chiefs finished 14-3 during the regular season last year. Plus, as everyone knows, they outlasted Philadelphia to take home its second Super Bowl trophy under coach Andy Reid in the last four years.
The 2022 Kansas City offense ranked 1st in both Yards Per Game (413.6 ypg) and Points Per Game at 29.2. MVP quarterback Mahomes led the league with 5,520 passing yards and 41 TD passes.
Tight end Travis Kelce had 110 catches for 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns to lead the team. After Kelce, the Chiefs’ other pass catchers are more castoffs than pro bowlers and will highlight Kadarius Toney (questionable), Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Sky Moore. The Chiefs’ undervalued running attack will feature Isiah Pacheco (831 rushing yards last year) to go with Jerick McKinnon (56 receptions) and Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
Last year, the Kansas City defense was middling statistically, allowing 21.7 points each contest. They are without All-Pro Chris Jones (holdout) and his 15.5 sacks from last year, and that could be a difference-maker in this game.
Detroit Lions vs. Carolina Panthers Prediction
The Chiefs are 6.5-point favorites with a total O/U of 54. The Lions were 5-4 on the road last year. The Chiefs were 7-1 at home. Most signs point to a Chiefs celebration on opening night.
The less-than-a-touchdown spread is intriguing and telling. The Lions will play ball-control and keep away from Mahomes. Both teams will try to run the ball more than normal. We think the Lions will have a chance to win the game late…but won’t.
Prediction: Kansas 27, Detroit 20
The Detroit Lions will host their second straight home game to open the NFL preseason Saturday at 1 PM EST against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Ford Field. Both teams won their preseason opener by five points. Both teams have big ideas for this season that include at least a divisional championship.
Detroit Lions Team News
The Lions opened their preseason with a 21-16 win over the New York Giants. Battling for a back-up quarterback spot, Nate Sudfeld threw an interception on the first play of the game and finished 15-of-28 for 194 yards and 2 INTs. Sudfeld played the entire first half and the first possession after halftime but it was rookie QB Adrian Martinez, from Kansas St. via Nebraska, who led the last drive and scored the winning TD on a 1-yard push with 1:51 remaining. The other Lions touchdown was a 95-yard punt return complete with two spins (YouTube it if you didn’t see it) from Florida International rookie Maurice Alexander.
1st round pick Jahmyr Gibbs flashed with 6 carries for 19 yards to give the home fans a little taste. Of note on the Detroit defense, Julian Okwara recorded three sacks while his older brother Romeo got one sack. Rookie Brandon Joseph of Notre Dame fame had an interception.
The biggest news heading into the Jacksonville game is really a bit of old news. Recently signed Teddy Bridgewater (still only 30 years old) is expected to play against the Jaguars as the Lions look to secure the back-up spots behind starter Jared Goff. Bridgewater started two games last season for the Miami Dolphins.
Jacksonville Jaguars Team News
The Jaguars won their preseason opener, 28-23, in Dallas over the Cowboys. Unlike the Lions who didn’t play Goff, Jacksonville’s No. 1 Trevor Lawrence did start and threw an interception on his second attempt of the game. Lawrence did lead a scoring drive with a TD toss to Christian Kirk before putting a baseball cap on over his long locks. Dak Prescott did not play for Dallas. The Jags won the game in the 4th quarter as undrafted QB Nathan Rourke from Ohio threw and ran for a touchdown.
Detroit Lions vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Prediction
The early line has Jacksonville as -3.5 favorites. That seems to make sense if Doug Pederson gives a series or two again to Lawrence. The Jaguar’s back-up QBs also played well in the first preseason game win. Meanwhile, Bridgewater just joined the team and might see some action. Sudfeld was a bit wild with two interceptions.
Prediction: Jacksonville 20, Detroit 13
One more thing: The teams are not scheduled to play this year unless they meet in the Super Bowl of course. The Lions are currently about +2200 to win it all. Jacksonville is around +3000.
The Dallas Cowboys will host the Detroit Lions on Sunday in an intriguing NFC inter-divisional matchup at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys have won the last four meetings between the two teams, including a 35-27 road win in 2019.
Keep reading to see team news and our Cowboys vs. Lions prediction.
Detroit Lions Team News
Detroit (1-4) is coming off a bye week and has lost three consecutive games. The Lions have one of the league’s highest-scoring offensive units and are ranked second with 423.6 yards a game. Seventh-year quarterback Jared Goff has completed 59.7 percent of 187 pass attempts with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. The former top overall pick has thrown multiple scoring passes in three out of five games this season.
D’Andre Swift returns to lead the NFL’s eighth-ranked rushing attack. The 23-year-old running back averaged 8.6 yards per carry over the first three weeks before missing the past two games with an assortment of injuries. Jamaal Williams has a team-high 332 yards on 77 rushes and paces the Lions’ ground game with six touchdowns.
A trio of talented pass-catchers headline a high-octane passing offense. Amon-Ra St. Brown leads the Lions with 27 receptions and three scores, while Josh Reynolds has tallied 23 catches and four touchdowns. Tight end T.J. Hockenson has caught 19 passes and found the end zone on three occasions.
The Lions will butt heads with the league’s fourth-ranked scoring defense that allows 16.3 points a game. The Cowboys have posted a league-high 24 sacks and limited opposing teams to 19 points or less in five games.
Dallas Cowboys Team News
Dallas (4-2) had its four-game winning streak snapped Sunday night with a 26-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Backup signal-caller Cooper Rush threw three picks and suffered his first career loss in six starts. Dak Prescott will be under center for the Cowboys this week after missing the last five games with an injured thumb.
Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard have combined for 678 rushing yards and four scores. Pollard averages 5.3 yards an attempt and is a big-play threat with three touches that spanned more than 46 yards.
CeeDee Lamb is the Cowboys’ top wideout with 409 yards and two touchdowns on 33 receptions. The former first-round pick averages 10 targets per game and should benefit from the return of Prescott. Noah Brown has caught 20 passes and a score, while Pollard and Dalton Schultz have each recorded nine catches.
Dallas will face one of the NFL’s worst defensive units. The Lions rank last in points allowed (34), total yards (428), rushing yards (167), and sacks (7). Detroit has surrendered 27 points or more in every game this season.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions Prediction
The Cowboys are seven points favorites in a game with an over/under of 47.5 points. The Lions should be able to move the ball on the ground, but Goff will be tested by a dominant defensive front that has terrorized opposing quarterbacks this season. Dallas should have little trouble moving the chains against a woeful Detroit defense.
Prediction: Dallas 34, Detroit 24
