Lions Bears Odds

Written by Jack Jones

The Chicago Bears seem to continue to prove their doubters wrong week in and week out. The Detroit Lions have been trying to prove their doubters wrong for more than a decade. These two NFC North rivals collide Sunday for a second time this season. Detroit put an end to a six-game losing streak to the Bears with a 24-13 home victory on Monday Night Football back on October 10th. Matthew Stafford threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns, while Jahvid Best ran wild on Chicago for 163 yards and a score.

Odds makers have set the line on the rematch at Chicago -2.5 over Detroit with a total of 45 points.

Chicago

The Bears have reeled off three straight victories to put themselves in great position to make the playoffs. Chicago (5-3, 3-1 home) hasn’t lost since that Monday night setback against these same Lions. Improved offensive line play has been a big reason for their recent surge. Cutler was under constant pressure against Detroit, and the O-line committed nine false start penalties to put their offense in bad situations.

Chicago is coming off a 30-24 upset at Philadelphia on Monday. The Eagles did not register a single sack, which is the only time the Bears have held their opposition sack-less in the last 39 games. Cutler was sharp in the win, completing 18 of 32 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns. Matt Forte built on what has already been a stellar season with 133 rushing yards. Cutler was sacked 18 times in their first five games, but he’s only been dropped three times in their last three.

The offensive line has also improved in the running game. After averaging 53.7 rushing yards in their first three games, the Bears have put up an average of 161.2 yards on the ground in their last five. Forte leads the NFL with 1,241 all-purpose yards, with 805 rushing and 436 receiving. Chicago ranks 17th in the league in total offense (341.8 yards/game) and 23rd in total defense (374.2 yards/game). Their stop unit limited the high-powered Eagles offense to a respectable 330 total yards.

Detroit

While the Bears will be working on a short week, the Lions come into this game off a bye. Detroit (6-2, 4-0 away) looks to remain unbeaten on the road while putting this rest to good use. The Lions were last in action on October 30th, where they put together a dominant 45-10 road win over the Denver Broncos. Matthew Stafford threw for 267 yards and the Lions’ defense sacked Tim Tebow seven times.

Detroit ranks fourth in the NFL with 24 sacks and they are tied for fifth with 11 interceptions. Their stop unit has been the biggest reason for their turnaround this season. The Lions rank 9th in the NFL in total defense (331.2 yards/game) while limiting opponents to 29.1 percent third-down conversions, which is the best mark in the league. However, they have given up at least 110 rushing yards in seven straight games, and they rank 28th in the league against the run (137.6 yards/game).

The Lions rank 13th in the NFL in total offense (355.8 yards/game), but they are only 26th in rushing (95.2 yards/game). Jahvid Best has missed the last two games with a concussion, and he’s likely going to be sidelined again Sunday. After rushing for 163 yards in their first meeting with the Bears, his loss could prove to be pretty significant. If Detroit is going to extend their road winning streak to seven games, it’s likely going to be because of the right arm of Stafford. He is completing 61.2 percent of his passes for 2,179 yards with 19 touchdowns and only four interceptions.

Betting Trends

The Lions are 10-1-1 ATS in their last 12 games following a win, and 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog. Detroit is also 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings in this series.

The Bears are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as a favorite, including 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite of 3.5-10.0 points.

If you want to take your bankroll to new heights through pro football wagering, then put your trust in expert handicapper Jack Jones to deliver.

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