Week 11 NFL Free Picks: Jacksonville At Detroit

Offseason tends to be a pretty boring time for football fans, with the draft and free agency the only things that we have to look forward to. Things tend to get a little more interesting after that, though, as we can then look at all the moves that have been made to decide which teams will rise in the coming season, and which will fall flat on their faces. The Jacksonville Jaguars spent a lot of money in the offseason, leading many to believe that they might be in for a big season. The Detroit Lions lost Calvin Johnson to retirement, which meant that they seemed doomed to struggle offensively this season. Neither scenario has played out as expected, as the Jaguars are sinking like a stone and have already made coaching moves, while the Lions now find themselves sitting atop the NFC North. Detroit are now in a serious playoff push, but with their division still very tight, they need to take advantage of inferior opposition like the Jags. Detroit enters this game as a 6.5-point betting odds favorite.

In Depth Analysis On The Week 11 NFL Free Picks: Jaguars At Lions

When: Sunday, November 20 at 1 PM EST Where: Ford Field, Detroit TV: CBS Radio: WJXL and WJR Live Stream: CBS Sports Network NFL Odds: TBA    

Why bet on the Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars have totally fallen apart this season, and are coming into this meeting on a 4-game losing skid. There are all sorts of different reasons why this team has failed to take off this year, but one thing that stands out is the turnover battle. The Jaguars defense has failed to take the ball away in 5-straight games, while the offense had turned the ball over 12 times during that stretch. There is just no way to consistently win football games when you are losing the turnover battle by such a wide margin. Jacksonville Jaguars are just 3-5 ATS this season, but have been a bit of a better bet on the road, where they are 2-2 ATS.

Why bet on the Detroit Lions

While the Lions may be sitting atop the NFC North now, there isn’t anyone in Detroit who is getting too carried away just yet. They have managed to take advantage of the Vikings and Packers, both of whom have gone on extended losing streaks. This is not to suggest that the Lions don’t deserve their top billing, as they have recovered nicely from a slow start, and have now won 4 of their last 5 games. They have been particularly good at home, going 3-1 in the cozy confines of Ford Field, and 2-1-1 ATS in the process. The Lions have also been very good at protecting the ball, and Stafford should have time to pick the Jaguars defense apart this Sunday.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

If I had to pick just one game to wager on against the spread this weekend, this would be the one. I believe that the Lions should have no problem taking care of a Jaguars team that is sinking like a stone.

Jacksonville Jaguars 17 Detroit Lions 31