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Betting Odds, Picks and Predictions for Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers
An NFC North showdown between two long-time rivals in the Lions and Packers sets up as one of the top games of the Week 9 slate. But it carries a degree of uncertainty thanks to the groin injury that has Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love listed as questionable.
Meanwhile, the Lions enter the game with no shortage of momentum after a 52-14 dismantling of the Titans, but the Pack boasts a four-game winning streak in its own right.
With a strong possibility of a highly competitive game, we break down odds and best bets.
Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers Betting Odds
*Best lines at time of writing listed
Moneyline: Lions -148 (Draftkings)/ Packers +135 (bet365)
Point spread: Lions -3 (+100 ESPN BET)/ Packers +3 (+115 DraftKings)
Totals: Under 48.5 points (DraftKings)/ Over 48 points (BetRivers)
We have seen significant line movement for this game thanks in large part to Love's uncertain status, not to mention the Lions' commanding victory in Week 8. The number unsurprisingly sat at Packers -1 before Week 8 action, but that figure had flipped all the way to +3.5 by the beginning of the week after Love could not finish Green Bay's win over the Jaguars. The number got as high as Lions -5 in the middle of the week, but bettors have pushed it back the other way since then with greater likelihood that Love plays.
The total has seen its fair share of movement, although in a downward trajectory. The number sat at a robust 50 points before Week 8, but with the uncertainty regarding Love's availability early in the week, that number took a plunge all the way to 47. Bettors progressively pushed the number back up as high as 48.5 where it sits as of this writing.
Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers Betting Picks
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While there's no question the Lions' aforementioned trampling of the Titans in Week 8 had a bit of a snowball effect in terms of good things happening for the Lions, Dan Campbell's squad is undoubtedly one of the league's best. That holds true even after the unfortunate season-ending leg injury suffered by Aidan Hutchinson, as Detroit is 2-0 in the talented pass rusher's absence and has impressive depth across the majority of its roster.
That leaves the Lions in good shape to handle a rather drastic change in venue Sunday, as Jared Goff and company remarkably play in their first outdoor game of the season, at Lambeau Field. Even with Jameson Williams serving the second and final game of a suspension, the Lions have downfield threats to help make up for his absence. The seemingly indestructible Tim Patrick has played well this season after missing the last two campaigns with a torn knee and torn Achilles, as has Kalif Raymond, who scored both a receiving and return touchdown against Tennessee.
Sam LaPorta also took on a larger role versus Tennessee with Williams down, and Jahmyr Gibbs remains a pass-catching threat as explosive as any receiver. Gibbs, who scored a rushing touchdown and totaled 127 yards on just 11 carries in Week 8, is also in a solid matchup against a Packers defense that allows 122.8 rushing yards per home game and 4.6 yards per carry to RBs. Gibbs has hit at least 40 rushing yards in every game this season, so a same-game parlay that banks on him hitting that mark and Detroit covering an alternate spread of under a field goal is a good one to consider at plus money.
However, my main pick is an outright Lions win, whether or not Love plays. Detroit brims with confidence and could have the added advantage of avoiding Jaire Alexander, who's questionable for the Packers due to a shoulder injury. For its part, the Lions' improved secondary has allowed just 214 passing yards per game in ithree road contests despite facing Kyler Murray, Dak Prescott and Sam Darnold, furthering Detroit's case for a road win.
Lions at Packers Best Bets:
- Lions Moneyline (-145 on BetMGM)
- SGP: Lions -2.5 and Jahmyr Gibbs 40+ rushing yards (+106 on FanDuel)
Lions @ Packers Prediction
Lions 26, Packers 21
It's obviously a bit challenging to prognosticate this game without having certainty of which quarterback will be under center for the hosts. However, Malik Willis has certainly proven capable of effectively executing a fairly aggressive game plan. Nevertheless, given Detroit's weaponry and the possibility that Love plays but is limited to some degree, I'll take the visitors in a hard-fought battle.
