Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions, 11/20/18 Predictions & Preview

Bears vs. Lions Total Prediction

After a high-scoring battle in Chicago two weeks ago, will the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions put up another big total on Thursday afternoon at 12:30PM ET?

Game Snapshot & Odds

105 Chicago Bears at 106 Detroit Lions

Thursday, November 22, 2018

12:30PM ET – Ford Field

TV: CBS

Public Betting Trends

According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Bears are favored on the road, as they are getting odds of -4 points against Lions. The over/under total for the contest is currently listed at 45 points. The public betting for this game currently has 66 percent going on the Bears on the road.

Bears on win streak

The Bears are currently riding a four-game win streak right now following a 25-20 win over the Vikings on Sunday night. They hold a 1.5-game lead in the NFC North with a 7-3 record overall. They are also 7-3 against the spread and 7-3 with the over. They have hit the over in three straight and six of their last seven, including in a 34-22 win over the Lions on Nov. 11.

The Bears are very strong on defense, allowing just 19.5 points and 334.3 yards per contest. Their run defense is giving up only 77.8 yards per contest. They have 32 sacks this year, including six against the Lions two weeks ago. They also have 27 turnovers forced. Khalil Mack has eight sacks this year to lead the unit. Offensively, Chicago is putting up 29.4 points and 369.8 yards per game. Mitchell Trubisky has thrown for 2,469 yards and 20 touchdowns this year with nine interceptions. He has also rushed for 363 yards and three scores. Jordan Howard is the leading rusher with 523 yards and five touchdowns.

Lions end skid

The Detroit Lions ended their three-game losing streak on Sunday with a surprising 20-19 win at home over the Carolina Panthers. The Lions are now 4-6 overall this year with a 6-4 mark against the spread and a 6-4 record with the over. Detroit has hit the under in three of its last four.

The Lions are struggling on offense somewhat, averaging 22.2 points and 362.3 yards per contest. Matthew Stafford has thrown for 2,605 yards and 17 touchdowns with eight interceptions. He has been sacked 30 times on the year. Rookie RB Kerryon Johnson has rushed for 641 yards and three touchdowns, but he is unlikely to play on Thursday due to a knee sprain he suffered on Sunday. Receiver Marvin Jones Jr. is also questionable to play with a knee injury. Kenny Golladay is the team’s leading receiver with 714 yards and five touchdowns. Defensively, the Lions are allowing 26.3 points and 384.7 yards per contest. They do have 28 sacks as a unit. Devon Kennard leads the group with six sacks.

NFL Betting Trends

Chicago

The Bears have hit the over in five straight following a win and in eight of their last 11 division games.

Detroit

The Lions have hit the over in six of their last seven Thursday games and in six of their last eight division contests.

Prediction:

The Bears ran through the Lions in their meeting two weeks ago, but Detroit was without some pieces on defense, including top CB Darius Slay. I would expect the Lions to be stronger on defense on Thursday. The Lions offense, though, is likely to really struggle. They won’t have much of any run game without Johnson, especially against this defense. Stafford hasn’t been able to throw the ball downfield much this year, so I think the Lions aren’t going to score many points in this one. The Bears will be having a quick turnaround from a Sunday night game to a Thursday afternoon contest. I would expect that to impact the offensive execution the most. Look for this game to be ugly and low-scoring.

NFL Prediction: Bears/Lions Under 45