Packers vs. Lions Prediction
Can the Green Bay Packers continue their hot streak tonight when they face the Detroit Lions at 8:25PM ET?
According to the oddsmakers at BetDSI, the Packers are favored on the road tonight, as they are getting odds of -3 points against the Lions. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 49.5 points. Green Bay won the first meeting this season by a score of 34-27 in Green Bay on Sept. 25. The Packers have won and covered the spread in three of their last four against the Lions.
The Packers are riding a five-game winning streak right now to get to 9-6 on the season. They also have covered the spread in four of their last five games to get to 8-6-1 against the spread. Green Bay is averaging 26.7 points per game on offense this season, as Aaron Rodgers is having another MVP-type season. Rodgers has thrown for 4,128 yards with 36 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Jordy Nelson has been his top target this season, as he has 91 catches for 1,191 yards and 14 touchdowns. Randall Cobb, one of the team’s other top receivers, is questionable to play tonight because of an ankle injury. Defensively, the Packers are giving up 24.3 points and 379.7 yards per game. They have struggled against the pass though, allowing 283.7 yards per game through the air.
Detroit was on a five-game win streak, but the Lions have lost their last two games to fall to 9-6 on the season. Detroit is 8-7 against the spread after failing to cover in their last three. Detroit averages 21.5 points per game, but the offense is all on the arm of Matthew Stafford. The Lions have one of the worst running games in the NFL at just 82.3 yards per game, so Stafford has had the pressure of making all the plays. He has thrown for 3,980 yards with 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions, but is dealing with an injury to the middle finger on his throwing hand, which has forced him to wear a glove. The glove has led to more turnovers, as he has four interceptions in his last three games with only one passing touchdown. Golden Tate has caught 85 passes for 1,000 yards and three scores to be his leading receiver. Defensively, Detroit is giving up 21.8 points and 358.9 yards per game. The team is hoping Darius Slay will return to action tonight. He missed last week’s game with a hamstring injury and that allowed the Dallas Cowboys to dominate through the air. He is questionable for tonight’s game.
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Lions fans have seen this scenario coming for weeks and sure enough, it has materialized. The Lions haven’t won a division title in over 20 years, so you can understand their pessimism about tonight’s outcome. Green Bay has more talent and Rodgers is playing at a very high level right now. The Packers know how to win at this time of year while the Lions know how to lose at this time of year. Look for that trend to continue.
NFL WEEK 17 PREDICTION: GREEN BAY PACKERS -3