How to Bet on Detroit vs. Chicago Divisional Matchup in NFL Week 11

Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears NFL Odds & Betting Preview

Written by on January 1, 2016

Both the Lions and the Bears have been a huge disappointment for betting and football fans. They have failed to fulfill their expectations and haven’t offered much value this season, although, the two squads are set to square off Sunday afternoon in a NFC North showdown at Soldier Field, and we have an NFL odds analysis and betting preview for this game.

Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears NFL Odds & Betting Preview

When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 3, 2016 Where: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois Line: Pick ‘Em O/U: 45.5 The NFL Week 17 odds for this matchup have the Bears as a Pick ‘Em after opening as 1.5-point faves. If you want to bet the O/U the game total is sitting at 45.5 points after opening at 45. The money favors the Steelers at -600 while you can cash in at +450 if you back the Browns.

Why Bet The Detroit Lions Odds as a Pick ‘Em

Because they’re playing excellent football at the right time! The Lions have won two straight and five of their last six games including their convincing 32-17 spanking of San Francisco last weekend. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is completing a blistering 66.9 percent of his passes for 3,964 yards with 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The strong-armed signal-caller has tossed seven TD passes over his last three games. Johnson and Golden Tate have combined for 1,865 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns while running back Theo Riddick set a franchise single-season record for receiving yards by a running back on Sunday. For the season, Riddick has caught 76 passes for 668 receiving yards, more than double the 316 he had last year in his second season. Elusive rookie running back Ameer Abdullah leads the rushing attack with 553 yards and two touchdowns. The Lions average 22.3 points per game (18th) while allowing 25.3 points per game defensively (25th). Now the Lions are campaigning for head coach Jim Caldwell to return in 2016. “Yeah, man, I love him,” Calvin Johnson said of Caldwell. “I think everybody in the locker room would probably say the same thing. He commands respect, but he doesn’t have to do much. It’s just his character, guys gravitate towards him. He’s easily one of my favorite coaches I’ve had.” jay-cutler-and-the-chicago-bears

Why Bet The Chicago Bears Odds as a Pick ‘Em

Because they’re playing at home. The Chicago Bears picked up a nice, 26-21 win over Tampa Bay last weekend to snap a three-game SU and ATS skid, but they’ve underachieved all season long in averaging 21.0 points per game (21st) and allowing 24.9 points per contest defensively (20th). Believe it or not, veteran quarterback Jay Cutler has not been the problem at all this season as he’s completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 3,414 yards with 19 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. Now, Chicago is looking for revenge after falling to the Lions 37-34 in overtime on Oct. 18. To beat the red-hot Lions, Chicago must figure out how to corral Detroit’s talented receiving core after allowing them to run wild in their previous meeting this season. Calvin Johnson caught six balls for 166 yards while Lance Moore had five catches for 106 yards and Golden Tate, another five catches for 40 yards. All three players had a touchdown catch. “They’re talented at all skill positions,” Bears cornerback Tracy Porter said. “They have two, three dynamic running backs that can make things happen with the ball in their hands, so we have a task out for us on defense.”

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction

54 percent of the betting public likes Detroit to get the road win and ATS cover and that’s clearly the right pick with Detroit playing its best football of the season the last couple of months and Chicago going 1-3 SU over their last four. The Lions are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against a team with a losing record and 5-2 ATS in their last seven games overall. Conversely, the Bears are just 6-14 ATS in their last 20 games against their NFC North division rivals, a pitiful 7-21-1 ATS in their last 29 home games and 0-4 ATS in their last four home games against a team with a losing road record. My final score prediction is Detroit 31 Chicago 21