Bears
vs.
Lions
Week 15
NFL Pick
12/16/17
By: Jason Green
Chicago Bears (4-9 SU 6-6-1 ATS) vs. Detroit Lions (7-6 SU 6-6-1 ATS)
The Bears have had a season to forget, but they did snap their five-Game losing streak in their last Game with a blowout win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The team has hopes for next season, and the future in general, with promising QB Mitchell Trubisky and Jordan Howard in the backfield. The defense has young talent as well and that unit has played well in the last couple of Games, especially their last one where they only GAve up seven points.
At 5 dimes sportsbook the Bears are the 5.5-point favorite with a total of 44.
The Lions are coming off a huge late win where they kept their slim playoff hopes alive. They are over. 500, ,but need a great late season push and have to get some help with other teams losing. Matthew Stafford suffered and injury scare before the last Game and he was solid last week and engineered the late comeback win. Detroit had given up a total of 74 points in two Games before giving up 21 in their last one.
Earlier in the season in Chicago the Lions pulled out a close 27-24 win.
While the Bears are 4-1-1 in their last six Games facing the Lions they are only 2-5 ATS in their last seven Games facing them in Detroit.
The Bears are coming off a 33-7 beat down on the Cincinnati Bengals where their offense blew up for a change racking up 482 yards. They dominated time of possession in the Game, forced two turnovers and did not commit one, and they rushed for 232 yards while only giving up 70 yards on the ground. Trubisky passed for 271 yards with 1 TD and 0 INT and Kendall Wright led the team with 107 receiving yards. Howard came up with a big Game rushing for 147 yards and 2 TD averaging a solid 6.4 yards per carry. Howard had really struggled in the previous two Games, but in the Game before that facing the Lions he rushed for 125 yards.
The Lions only rank 20th in the league in run D and 27th in pass D and while they were not great on D in their last Game they did force five turnovers.
In their last Game the Lions beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where they GAve up 14 4th quarter points before marching down the field and kicking a Game-winning field goal with only 20 seconds left. They did have three turnovers, but came up with five with two INT and three fumble recoveries. Still, Stafford had to do it all with 381 passing yards while Detroit only rushed for 53 yards. Four players for the Lions had at least 64 receiving yards and in the recent match up with the Bears in the Windy City he passed for 299 yards with 2 TD and 0 INT.
The Bears are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 road Games, 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 Games, and in their last 7 Games they have an Under record of 5-2.
The Lions are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 Games facing a team with a losing record, 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home Games, and in their last 7 home Games the Over record is 6-1.
Jason’s Pick: The Lions are holding onto to playoff hopes by a thread, which will get a little thicker after this Saturday Game, as they will beat the Bears behind Stafford and cover the spread as well.