The NFC North has been the best and most competitive division in the NFL this season, and for the second consecutive Thursday, we get two of the teams from the division that are currently in the playoffs.
The Detroit Lions haven’t officially clinched a spot in the NFC postseason. But a win on Thursday, or any week to come, and they will make back-to-back trips to the playoffs for the first time in 30 years. The Green Bay Packers still have an outside shot at winning the division, just two games behind Detroit. But most likely we will see the Pack back in the postseason as a wild card team.
Game Line: Lions (-3.5)
Just over a month ago, the Lions beat the Packers in the cold, wind, and wet of Lambeau Field. Head coach Dan Campbell had a message for anyone who doubted that the Lions, a dome team, could handle wintery football.
“We are built for this, man, and it doesn’t matter just because we play indoors. It doesn’t matter. We can play anywhere. We can play in the snow. We can play in the rain. Play in the mud. That is just us, and we are built to win.”
Detroit is back in the dome for this one, but no one can argue that they are built to win. Since that win at Lambeau, they have won four more times, and sit at 11-1. One more win and they match the franchise-high, and two more wins will officially make this the winningest team in Detroit Lions history.
Quarterback Proposition Bets
In order for the Lions to get this win, they will have to control Packers quarterback Jordan Love. Love didn’t have a touchdown in the earlier meeting, and the Packers never got things going offensively. In last year’s game in Detroit, a Green Bay win, it was a different story. Love threw three touchdown passes and the Packers scored 20 first quarter points.
For Thursday, Love pays -145 to throw at least two touchdowns, and he pays +275 if he gets to three. His passing yards line is set at 252.5 yards.
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff is having a great year, and is +1200 to win the MVP award. His passing yards line for Thursday is 254.5 yards and he pays a handsome +340 if he throws at least three touchdowns.
Running Back Proposition Bets
Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry are recognized as two of the biggest additions to a team this season. But close behind them is Josh Jacobs, who is making the most of his first year in Green Bay. Last year in Las Vegas he rushed for 805 yards and had six total touchdowns. This year with the Packers he’s already scored nine times, and he is just 13 rush yards away from 1,000.
The over/under on rushing yards for Jacobs is 70.5 and he is paying -145 to score a touchdown.
The Lions counter with Sonic and Knuckles, the nickname given to the tandem of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Gibbs is at 973 rush yards and 11 total touchdowns, and Montgomery is at 720 rush yards and 11 total touchdowns.
For Thursday both are favored to score, with Montgomery paying -170 and Gibbs at -165. The over/under on rush yards for Gibbs is 68.5, while Montgomery’s line is set at 58.5.
Pass Catcher Proposition Bets
The best wide receiver on the field will be Amon-Ra St. Brown. The top Lions receiver has an over/under of 69.5 receiving yards, which is well within his reach. He’s gone over that total in five games this season, including last Thursday against the Chicago Bears. St. Brown has scored touchdowns in nine games this season, and he is paying even money (+100) to score on Thursday.
Other top receiving yards over/unders for the Lions are Jameson Williams at 48.5 and tight end Sam LaPorta at 37.5. LaPorta scored two touchdowns on Thanksgiving, and he is +190 to score again this week.
For the Packers, their wide receivers are led by Jayden Reed, who has an over/under of 60.5 receiving yards. Christian Watson is at 49.5, Dontayvion Wicks is at 40.5, and tight end Tucker Kraft is 38.5.
Reed is +135 to score a touchdown, Watson pays +185, and Kraft is +200 to score his seventh touchdown of the season.
With over 25 years of experience as a distinguished sports writer for renowned platforms such as Fox Sports and ESPN, Kyle Garlett is a sports betting specialist who has been at the forefront of documenting the global surge in sports betting and online gaming. Based in Denver, Colorado, Kyle hosts an NFL betting YouTube show and podcast. Kyle also has two sports books published by HarperCollins.
Kyle graduated the Azusa Pacific University in 1996 with a B.A. Degree in Communication and Journalism.
