NFL Predictions: Lions vs. Bears Preview

Written by Jake Thompson
Friday, 11 November 2011 23:43

It’s time for predictions in Sunday’s NFL game between the Lions and the Bears.

The Detroit Lions (6-2) have struggled a bit of late after their perfect start, and our NFL predictions will let you know if they’ll be able to pick up a win in Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears (5-3).  Start time of the Lions vs. Bears game is set for 4:15 PM ET, and Chicago is currently a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 44.5 at 5Dimes Sportsbook.

This will be the second meeting of the year between these NFC North rivals after the Lions won 24-13 in Detroit earlier this year.  Chicago has also lost to the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers, while wins have come over the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Philadelphia Eagles.  Detroit won against the Denver Broncos last weekend but had lost 2 straight against the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers in the weeks prior.  Other wins for the Lions this season have come over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, and Dallas Cowboys.

Chicago is 3-1 at home this season and it appears their offense has finally figured it out.  The Bears are averaging 25.0 points per game this season but have improved their rushing attack quite a bit after a slow start.  Quarterback Jay Cutler (1910 yards, 58.7%, 11 TD, 6 INT) was getting crushed earlier in the year when the running game wasn’t a threat, but the Bears have averaged 31.0 points per game over their last 3 while gaining an average of 153.3 yards on the ground each time out.  Detroit’s defense has been very good this year, but their aggressive pass rushers can get beat by the rush.  That makes it extremely important for the Lions to get an early lead if they want to be at their best.

The Lions don’t run the ball that well but quarterback Matthew Stafford (2179 yards, 61.2%, 19 TD, 4 INT) and wide receiver Calvin Johnson, amongst others, have them scoring 29.9 points per game.  Chicago has been out-passed yardage wise in 2 of the 3 games they’ve lost this year, so they’ll want to use exotic blitzes to throw off Stafford’s rhythm in the pocket.  Detroit is a perfect 4-0 on the road this year so it is imperative for the Bears to make this offense uncomfortable.

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Detroit has covered the point spread in 7 of the last 10 games against the Bears, while the underdog has been a great bet as well after winning money in 17 of the past 25 head-to-head meetings.  Predictions in this one call for Chicago to use the run effectively to open up play action, and for the Lions to not be able to keep up.  This won’t be a blowout by any means, but the Bears, at home with their rushing attack working, will be too much for Detroit.

Lions vs. Bears Score Predictions:

Lions 27

Bears 23