Week 18 of the NFL will close with this divisional rivalry game in Green Bay on Sunday, January 8, so make sure you don’t miss out on the best Lions vs. Packers betting pick and odds.

Green Bay is looking for the fifth straight win when they host Detroit at Lambeau Field. The Packers are -4.5 favorites on MyBookie Sportsbook, while the total is set at 49 points. These divisional foes met once this season, and the Lions won 15-9 in Detroit.

Lions destroyed the Bears at home

The Detroit Lions (8-8-0, 11-5-0 ATS) bounced back from a road defeat to the Carolina Panthers with a massive 41-10 home victory over the Chicago Bears. The Lions actually trailed 10-7 after the opening quarter but then scored 34 unanswered points to deservedly secure a blowout win. Detroit was much better in total yards (504-230), first downs (26-9), and possession (35:43-24:17), while the hosts forced a pair of turnovers and didn’t commit a single one in return.

Jared Goff completed 21 of 29 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns. Brock Wright caught three passes, two of which were for touchdowns. D’Andre Swift also got a receiving TD and scored a rushing touchdown as he totaled 127 yards on 15 touches, while Jamaal Williams was impressive with a career-high 144 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. In the air, Amon-Ra St. Brown and DJ Chark combined for 118 yards on six receptions. Defensively, Detroit registered seven sacks opposite Chicago’s two. James Houston had a career-high three sacks, Josh Paschal added two, and Alex Anzalone led the team with seven tackles.

S DeShon Elliott has missed the last two games with arm and shoulder ailments. It has yet to be determined if he will take the field against the Packers on Sunday.

Packers are a win away from the playoffs

The Green Bay Packers (8-8-0, 8-8-0 ATS) are playing their best football of the season when matters the most. The Packers are on a four-game winning streak and they scored a season-high 41 points in the most recent 41-17 home victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Now, Green Bay needs just one more win to make the playoffs. Although the Vikings were slightly better than the Packers offensively, Green Bay’s defense and special teams won the game. Keisean Nixon returned a 105-yard kickoff for a touchdown, while Darnell Savage had a 75-yard pick-six. The hosts forced four turnovers and didn’t commit a single one on the other end.  

Aaron Rodgers completed 15 of 24 passes for 159 yards and one touchdown. He scored a rushing TD on just one carry, while AJ Dillon also found the end zone on the ground. Aaron Jones led all the runners with 111 yards on 14 attempts. Robert Tonyan caught that lone TD pass from Rodgers as he finished with 52 yards on three receptions, while Allen Lazard led the team with five catches for 59 yards. On defense, Adrian Amos, De’Vondre Campbell, and Quay Walker registered eight tackles apiece.

Trends:

Detroit:

  • 3-13-1 SU in the last 17 games on the road
  • 3-17 SU in the last 20 games when playing on the road against Green Bay

Green Bay:

  • 4-0 ATS in the last four games overall
  • 4-1 ATS in the last five vs. NFC rivals

Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers Pick

The Lions do have a more efficient offense that is averaging 27.1 points per game, but their high-flying pass offense could have problems against one of the best pass defenses in the NFL. Green Bay is allowing only 195.6 yards per game to the opposing receivers, which is the fourth-best secondary in the league. On the other hand, the Packers improved offensively of late and scored 24+ points in each of the last five games, which is great news as they face one of the weakest defenses in football that allows 25.7 points per contest. Detroit would need a win here and Seattle to lose against the Rams, while Green Bay just needs to get a W at Lambeau Field to secure a playoff spot. I am backing Rodgers and co. to do it. The experience is on their side.

Pick: Take the Packers at -3.5 (-120)

The Total

These divisional foes combined for just 24 points in the previous H2H duel, but I don’t think we will have such a low-scoring affair this time around. Green Bay didn’t allow more than 20 points in each of the last four games, all of which resulted in wins, and I am backing the hosts to keep the Lions to 20 or fewer on Sunday. The Packers not only improved on offense, but their D and special teams are red-hot at the moment. Even if Detroit scores less than 20, I still expect the Packers to score multiple offensive touchdowns and perhaps one or two defensive TDs. Over is 9-2 in the Lions’ last 11 games following an ATS win, while Over is 10-1 in the Packers’ previous 11 games after scoring more than 30 points in their last game.

Pick: Go Over 47.5 points (-130)