One of the bigger headlines this season has been how disappointing the Green Bay Packers have been performing 3 weeks into the year. The defense was giving up big plays in the passing game, and the offense just couldn’t find their rhythm. If you’re one of the many online NFL betting fans who thought the Packers problems would continue and result in a loss against the Lions, then you’re probably regretting your prediction right about now. The Lions might not have successfully upset Green Bay, but at one point they came very close to spoiling the Packer’s home opener. The final score was 34-27 but if the Lions defense had been able to stop the Packers late in the 4th quarter, Matt Stafford would’ve had one final chance to win the game. And with the way the Packers’ secondary was playing in the second half, it’s very likely he would’ve succeeded. Now with the opportunity to upset Green Bay behind them, Detroit must now prepare to face another division rivals, the Chicago Bears. Let’s check the odds across the best football betting sites to see how the Lions will fare against Chicago.
Week 4 – Sunday the 2nd of October
Detroit -2 (-110) 47 (-110)
Chicago +2 (-110) 47 (-110)
Coming into next Sunday’s contest the Lions are the favorites and will try to cover a 2-point spread. It’s not too often that you see Detroit painted as online NFL betting favorites, but it’s not surprising considering the Bears are winless so far this year. The Lions looked strong on opening week when they upset the Indianapolis Colts 39-35. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to carry that success into the following week and lost against the Tennessee Titans 16-15. This past weekend the Lions had a poor showing in the first half against the Packers, but didn’t look terrible in the second half. In the first half Aaron Rodgers would carve up a banged up Detroit defense for 4 touchdowns. Going into halftime the score was 31-10 but afterwards the Packers offense stuttered and were only able to put up 3 points to close out the game. Some critics insist that the change in momentum in Green Bay’s offense can be attributed to Mike McCarthy’s play calling. Since Green Bay had the lead McCarthy elected to run a more preservative offense that allowed the Lions to sneak back into it. Still, other critics believe that the credit belongs entirely to the Lions, and had they found their groove earlier in the game they would’ve certainly come away with it.
This upcoming week the Lions will get a chance to prove that they aren’t the weakest team in the NFC North. Right now the Bears sit at the bottom of the division as the only team in the North without a win. Chicago lost in Week 1 to the Texans 23-14, and followed that up with a 29-14 loss against the Eagles. This past weekend the Cowboys gave the Bears a 31-17 routing on Sunday Night Football.
Chicago’s offense is 30th in the league while the Lions ranks No. 7 overall. Detroit might still be a little banged up, but their offense is still explosive enough to be an easy online NFL betting pick over the Bears. Chicago will be without Jay Cutler, but they might be better off. This game may not have playoff implications, but the winner will get bragging rights over their divisional rival.
