Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers Picks, Predictions, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

5 minute read

The final week of the NFL regular season will conclude with a matchup to determine the final NFC Wild Card spot between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. Coverage begins from Lambeau Field in Wisconsin at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.

Updated on 04/18/2024

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DETROIT LIONS vs. GREEN BAY PACKERS BETTING PREDICTION

Prior to Week 13, all hope was seemingly lost for Green Bay, as the Packers traveled to Chicago with a record of 4-8, and just five games left to play, while staring down the barrel of tough matchups against the Dolphins, Vikings, and Lions down the homestretch.

However, the bottom-half of the NFC Playoff Picture has completely fallen apart, and the Packers have now won four straight games. So now, all of a sudden, Aaron Rodgers and co. can clinch a playoff spot with a home win over the Lions in this week’s regular season finale.

Green Bay appeared to be a lost cause early in the year. The Packers’ offense scored 21 points or less in six-of-nine contests out of the gate, and likewise, their defense wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire, having also surrendered 23+ points in six of those matchups.

The Packers have been playing a very impressive brand of football as of late, though, considering they’ve now scored 26+ points in six of their last nine games, and defensively, Green Bay is finally beginning to hit its stride, having also surrendered 20 points or less in four straight outings.

While on the other hand, the Lions are having an absolutely thrilling campaign, as Detroit ranks Top 5 in points scored and Bottom 5 in points allowed with averages of 27.1 PPG and 25.7 PPG, respectively, which has set the stage for quite a few high-scoring battles throughout the year.

The Lions’ second half numbers indicate that they are playing much better defense now than they were earlier in the season. Which is true, highlighted by Detroit holding its opponent to less than 20 points in five of their last nine matchups. 

However, Detroit’s defense has still surrendered 28+ points in three contests scattered throughout their latest run. So, it’s not like the Packers are facing an impenetrable force this week.

I’ll take the over here, as both defensive units have been trending in the right direction recently, but I’m still expecting a high-scoring affair between a pair of NFC North foes that have both scored 28+ points in three of their last five contests.

Score Prediction: Packers 30, Lions 23
Best Bet: Over 49 (-110)

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DETROIT LIONS vs. GREEN BAY PACKERS BETTING ODDS

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DETROIT LIONS vs. GREEN BAY PACKERS BETTING RESOURCES

Date: Sunday, January 8, 2023
Matchup: NFC North
Venue: Lambeau Field
Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin
Time-TV: NBC, 8:20 p.m. ET

DETROIT LIONS BETTING ANALYSIS

The first meeting of the year between these teams resulted in an ugly 15-9 victory for Detroit, which was a completely off-brand performance for both of these squads, considering the Lions’ offense has only fallen short of the 20-point mark on three occasions this season, and similarly, the Packers’ defense had surrendered 23+ points in six-of-eight matchups prior to that point.

Detroit’s defense has received a bunch of praise for stepping up its game recently, but personally, I’m still not quite sold on this Lions’ defensive group.

The Lions’ have posted solid defensive numbers throughout the second half of the year. However,  those numbers are heavily padded by the fact they’ve held their opponent to 20 points or less in four of their last seven contests.

Playing good defense in matchups against the Giants, Jets, Jaguars, and Bears isn’t all that impressive, though, especially when you surrender 29.3 PPG in the three affairs separating those performances.

GREEN BAY PACKERS BETTING ANALYSIS

Throughout the first half of the season, the Packers’ offensive struggles were incredibly perplexing, even following the departure of Davante Adams. But it seems like as soon as we started to accept them for what they’d become, Rodgers and co. completely flipped the script on us, and now, they look like one of the most dangerous squads in the NFC.

The Packers are 5-2 in their last seven games, and they’ve generated 28+ points on the offensive side of the ball in five of those contests, which is something they failed to do all season before their Week 10 matchup against Dallas.

Personally, I think we’ll see Green Bay win this game, especially at home with the way their defense has been playing as of late. However, like Detroit, I’m still not quite ready to buy into this Packers’ defense that surrendered a lofty average of 24 PPG prior to Week 13.

DETROIT LIONS vs. GREEN BAY PACKERS BETTING TRENDS

• The Lions are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games.
• The total has gone OVER in 12 of Detroit's last 18 games.
• The Lions are 4-1 SU in their last five games.
• The Packers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games.
• The total has gone OVER in five of Green Bay's last seven games.
• The Packers are 4-1 SU in their last five games.
• The Packers are 13-4 SU in their last 17 home games.
• The Lions are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games against Green Bay.
• The Lions are 2-5 SU in their last seven games against Green Bay.

Where to place a bet this NFL Season?

• Use our exclusive BetMGM Bonus Code VIBONUS1500 to unlock BetMGM’s welcome offer for new sportsbook users!
• Compare the latest NFL Odds from the best sportsbooks before placing a bet on this week's games.
• Check out the North Carolina Sportsbooks just before they launch legal online sports betting.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson