The Chicago Bears (-4) and Detroit Lions are set to collide indoors at Ford Field. This Thursday Night Football matchup starts at 12:30 p.m. ET and spectators can watch the action live on CBS.
Thursday Night FootballBetting Preview: Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears
In this Thursday NFC game, Chicago is projected as the favorite and is currently giving up 4 points. The Bears are also receiving -170 moneyline odds while the Lions are +150. Vegas has placed the over/under (O/U) at 45 points, and if one squad finds paydirt in the early stages, it’ll probably result in a worthwhile in-game betting opportunity.
The over/under has not changed after it was initially established at 45. Having said that, the opening line was 3 so the early action has slanted in favor of the Bears.
The Bears are 7-3 against the spread (ATS) and have recorded 2.2 units so far in 2018. The team’s recorded an O/U mark of 7-3.
The Lions are down 2.5 units for moneyline bettors this season. They’re 6-4 ATS and the over’s hit in six of their games.
The Bears have gone 7-3 straight up (SU), including 2-1 SU against NFC North opponents. The Lions are 4-6 SU overall and 1-2 SU against divisional foes.
The Bears continue to ride high after a 25-20 win over Minnesota in Week 11 where Mitchell Trubisky completed 20 passes for just 165 yards, one score and two interceptions. Jordan Howard (63 yards on 18 rush attempts) and the signal-caller Trubisky (43 yards on 10 carries) led the ground attack. Taylor Gabriel (seven receptions, 52 yards) and Tarik Cohen (three catches, 23 yards) shared the receiving duties in the win.
Detroit is coming off of a 20-19 win over Carolina in Week 11. Matthew Stafford completed 23-of-37 passes for 220 yards and one touchdown. Kerryon Johnson (87 rushing yards on 15 attempts, one TD) handled the running game while Kenny Golladay (eight receptions, 113 yards, one TD) and Bruce Ellington (six catches, 52 yards) led the pass-catching corps in the win.
Chicago’s run the ball on 47.6 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Detroit has an overall rush percentage of 38.7 percent. The Bears have produced 122.9 rush yards/game (including 113.7 per game versus North opponents) and have 10 touchdowns on the ground this year. The Lions are totaling 100.4 rush yards per game (78.7 in conference) and have six total rushing TDs.
It appears that the Bears should hold an edge when it comes to applying pressure. Their offensive line has yielded only 39 sacks while their D-line logged 42 sacks. The Lions O-line has allowed 47 sacks and their defense has created only 35 sacks.
The Bears offense has averaged 246.9 yards in the air overall (230.3 per game versus conference opposition) and has 20 passing scores so far. The Lions have produced 261.9 pass yards per game (219 in the NFC) and have 17 total pass TDs.
On the defensive side of the ball, Chicago has allowed 77.8 rush yards and 256.5 pass yards per game. The Detroit D has allowed 259.7 yards per game to opposing passers and 125.0 yards per game on the ground. The Bears are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 4.67 to opponents, while the Lions have given up an 8.35 ANY/A.
Stafford has completed 219-of-326 passes for 2,331 yards, 15 TDs and six INTs. Stafford’s adjusted net yards per pass attempt sits at 6.34 for the season and 4.81 across his past two outings. In the other locker room, Trubisky has put up 2,114 passing yards this season, and has completed 187-of-291 attempts with 17 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions. Trubisky has a 6.27 ANY/A for the year, although that number is 7.90 over the last two outings.
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions Free Prediction
SU Winner: Bears, ATS Winner: Bears, O/U: Under
