Will the Packers take their Week 1 stinker out on Detroit?
It’s not often you see an NFL team lose by 35 one week and then come back the next week as two-touchdown favorites.
That’s what we’ve got Monday night when the Green Bay Packers host the Detroit Lions in an NFC North primetime showdown at Lambeau Field.
Here’s a quick betting preview for “Monday Night Football” between the Lions and Packers. All lines are from DraftKings Sportsbook.
Detroit Lions at (-12) Green Bay Packers
Total: 49
BETTING TRENDS
One might think the Packers have had their way with the Lions in recent years, and they have won six of the last 10 meetings. However, Detroit has been able to cover in seven of those games with the Over hitting in six. In fact, the Lions covered seven of the last eight with their NFC North rivals.
The Packers definitely have struggled to cover big numbers, too. Green Bay is just 2-7 against the spread in its last nine games as double-digit favorites and actually lost two of those games outright — both at home and with one of the defeats coming at the hands of Detroit in 2015. The Lions nipped the Packers 18-16 on Nov. 15, 2015, when Green Bay closed as a 10.5-point home favorite. That was the last time the Lions won outright as dogs of 10 or more, although they’re 4-4 ATS as double-digit dogs since October 2010.
PROPS
First-half line, total
Packers -7, 24.5
First touchdown scorer
Davante Adams +500
Aaron Jones +650
Robert Tonyan +1000
D’Andre Swift +1200
T.J. Hockenson +1400
Jamaal Williams +1600
Passing yards
Aaron Rodgers over/under 282.5
Jared Goff over/under 255.5
Rushing yards
D’Andre Swift over/under 39.5
J Dillon over/under 37.5
Jamaal Williams over/under 36.5
Receiving yards
Davante Adams over/under 89.5
TJ Hockenson over/under 55.5
Amon-Ra St. Brown over/under 40.5
Marquez Valdez-Scantling over/under 37.5
PICK: Total sacks OVER 4.5 (+105)
Both offensive lines struggled in Week 1, and it led to Goff being sacked three times, while Rodgers and Jordan Love were sacked once each. On the Green Bay defensive side, not having Za’Darius Smith does hurt the chances here, but it could be a big night for former Michigan star Rashan Gary, who had a good camp and preseason and looks poised to take another step this season. Rodgers should be better this week than his disastrous Week 1 showing, but don’t be surprised to see plenty of blue in the Green Bay backfield. The David Bakhtiari injury looked like a huge issue in Week 1, not to mention the loss of center Corey Linsley in free agency. Assuming Trey Flowers is good to go, that’s a halfway decent Detroit pass rush with Jamie Collins also involved.
It’s certainly possible the quarterbacks are under some heat Monday night on the Frozen Tundra.