The Detroit Lions will visit the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, September 25th at Lambeu Field in the latter’s home opening game – which should tip the online football betting scale on their favor.
Lions +7½ (-110) 47½ (-110)
Packers -7½ (-110) 47½ (-110)
The Lions are coming from a close 23-27 loss to the Tennessee Titans. Detroit had the chance to drive for a second consecutive game-winning field goal, but QB Matthew Stafford threw an interception to Perrish Cox at midfield in the last minute. They had won Jeri Ryan – that is, seven of nine – dating to midway through the 2015 season. Stafford completed 22 of 40 attempted passes for 260 yards with one TD pass to Anquan Boldin, and that decisive interception. The Lions are 1-1.
More surprisingly, the online football betting favorites Green Bay Packers – which many a football betting site has pegged to win Super Bowl LI – lost 14-17 to the Minnesota Vikings. Starting QB Aaron Rodgers was sacked five times and the Packers had two turnovers in the fourth quarter that put an end to their rally. Rodgers finished 12 for 21 for 154 yards in the second half and ran for 29 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Eddie Lacy rushed for 50 yards on 12 carries, and Jordy Nelson ran 73 yards on five receptions and one TD. All in all, Green Bay’s offense ain’t what it used to be. Nor is The Old Gray Mare.
However, the Packers have made the most of their home turf in the previous couple of seasons, though that doesn’t necessarily guarantee a victory. Case in point, Green Bay finished 5-3 at home last season; one of those losses was against the Vikings – to whom they already lost as seen above – and the other was precisely versus the Lions. Moreover, the Detroit Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett has the Lions losing to the Packers, but his predictions have got it all wrong so far – he had Detroit losing to the Colts and beating the Titans. So at least according to him, the Lions have this one in the bag. But Birkett is not alone – the Lions have had a better start than most online football betting outlets would have given them credit for, and could be 2-0 like as not.
As a matter of fact, Detroit’s offense has been better than Green Bay’s, statistically speaking. The Lions are averaging 27.0 points and 411.5 total yards per game, compared to the Packers’ 20.5 points and 278.5 total yards per game. On the other hand, though, Green Bay is yielding 20.0 points and 316.0 total yards per game, to Detroit’s 25.5 points and 406.5 total yards per game. And of course there are always the intangibles; unlike Chumbawamba, the Lions don’t usually get up again when they get knocked down. And you just know that the Packers are better than what they have shown so far. If Rodgers, Lacy, and Nelson start playing like we and they know they can, that spells doom for Detroit.
