The NFC North title as well as a chance to earn a playoff spot is on the line when the Green Bay Packers visit Ford Field to take on the Detroit Lions on Sunday night. The game is scheduled to begin at 8:30 PM. ET.
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Lions vs Packers Odds
- Green Bay Packers -3.5
- Detroit Lions +3.5
- Over/Under 49.5
My Pick
The Packers came into the season as one of the favorites to win the division, while the Lions weren’t expected to be very good after Calvin Johnson announced his retirement at the end of last season.
Rodgers and the Packers offense has been clicking of late.
After a slow start to the season, the Packers were 4-6 and looked like they were out of the playoff picture. Since then, the Packers have won five consecutive games and find themselves with a chance to clinch the division this weekend.
Like the Packers, the Lions suffered a slow start and were 1-3 after the first quarter of the season. After the slow start, the Lions reeled off eight wins in nine games and briefly took the division lead before losing their last two games. With a win on Sunday, the Lions will clinch the NFC North for the first time since 1993.
In the first meeting of the season, the Packers won 34-27, in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicates. The Packers jumped to a 31-10 lead in the second quarter and by the time the Lions rallied, the game was all but over.
Aaron Rodgers led the way with four touchdowns and Eddie Lacy chipped in 103 yards on the ground. Lacy, who has been placed on injured reserve, will not play this weekend, but Ty Montgomery has played well in place.
The Lions have relied on Matthew Stafford’s arm for most of the season, and he has been up to the challenge. Stafford is 20 yards away from throwing for 4,000 yards in a season for the sixth consecutive time, joining the ranks of Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Matt Ryan, as the only other quarterbacks to do so.
Detroit’s defense has played well for most of the year, but allowed the Cowboys to score 42 points in their loss last week. The defense will need to play harder than it did last week if they want to slow down Aaron Rodgers, who has torn the Lions defense apart in the past.
In an interesting twist, both teams can advance to the playoffs if the game ends in a tie, eliminating the Washington Redskins in the process. However, given how competitive this rivalry is and the fact that the game hasn’t finished in a tie since 1973, makes this an unlikely scenario.
Final word…
The Lions will have their fans firmly behind them as they try to clinch the division for the first time in 13 years, but they won’t be able to slow down the Packers defense, which is clicking on all cylinders right now. Lions cover but lose the game.
Play: Lions +3.5 @ Bovada.lv
Tagged With : Detroit Lions • Green Bay Packers • NFL Betting