The Detroit Lions (0-5) battle the Chicago Bears (2-3) this week in a game that will feature the NFL’s leading rusher, Matt Forte (438 yards, 1 TD). The game will air Sunday, Oct 18 at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX.
This week’s clash marks the first meeting for these NFC North rivals this season. The Lions have been victorious in the last four over the Bears, going back to the 2013 season. Ndamukong Suh led the Lions defensive effort in the last meeting, recording four tackles and two sacks. Christian Jones led the defensive effort for Chicago, recording 11 tackles and one sack.
Detroit is a three-point favorite against the Bears. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently at 44 points.
Sitting at 0-5 Straight Up (SU) and 1-4 Against The Spread (ATS), the Lions will look to improve heading into Week 6. The Lions often throw the ball. Their 46.6 passing attempts per game is the second-highest average in the league. Crossing over to the defensive side of the ball, the Lions look to have a distinct advantage in certain spots. The Bears probably won’t throw the ball often in Detroit. They are one of the least-effective passing teams on the road, averaging 144.5 passing yards per away game. Concentration could be a key factor in this week’s game. The Lions hope to profit on Chicago’s mental lapses, which contribute to 74 penalty yards per game.
Shifting to the opposition, the Bears head into Week 6 with records of 2-3 for both ATS and SU. The Bears’ secondary could be in for a solid game when they face off against the Lions, who rank 31st in terms of yards per passing attempt, with an average of 9.3 yards. The Detroit offensive line is in for a challenge this week, because the Bears get to opposing quarterbacks with ease during their away games. The Bears defense is currently fifth in the league with an average of 3.5 sacks per road game. The Bears will look to score against a Detroit defense that allows the most points on average (13.8 points) in the second quarter. Penalties could lead to trouble for the Lions. They average 80 penalty yards per home game, making them one of the most penalized teams in the NFL.
Predictions: SU Winner – Det, ATS Winner – Det, O/U – Over
Notes
Detroit is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games.
Detroit is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 18 of Detroit’s last 25 games.
Detroit is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home.
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit’s last 6 games when playing at home against Chicago.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago’s last 6 games when playing on the road against Detroit.
Chicago is 1-1 SU when leading at the half this season. Detroit is 0-1 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Detroit is 0-3 SU in games where it wins the turnover battle, and also winless (0-2 SU) when losing the turnover battle.
The Chicago pass defense is ranked third in the league, while the Detroit passing attack is ranked only ninth. The Bears’ passing game is ranked just 27th, compared to the 17th-ranked pass defense of the Lions.
