In this week’s NFL game previews and picks, the San Francisco 49ers (4-10) head to Ford Field to square off with the Detroit Lions (5-9) this week. Though this season hasn’t met expectations for Detroit, the team has shown signs of life in recent weeks, winning three of its last five. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec 27 and will air on FOX.
In last week’s game, Detroit defeated the Saints 35-27. Matthew Stafford had a huge game through the air in the victory, connecting on 22 of 25 pass attempts for 254 yards and three TDs. San Francisco is hoping for a different outcome after losing to the Bengals 24-14. Gerald Hodges Jr. led the defensive effort for San Francisco, recording nine tackles.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at 40 points and the 49ers are a substantial seven-point underdog.
Sitting at 5-9 for both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS), the Lions will look to improve heading into Week 16. In their five most recent matchups, the Lions went 3-2 for both SU and ATS. Detroit has averaged 27 points per game over the last five weeks, higher than its season average of 21.6. The passing game could be a priority for Detroit against a San Francisco pass defense that ranks 26th in the league with 128.6 yards allowed per game. As for the Detroit defense, a few key matchups could decide this game. Detroit’s defensive backs could have an edge on the 49ers and their struggling pass game. San Francisco averages 197.5 yards per game through the air, ranking 30th in the NFL. The Lions will look to pass rush San Francisco’s quarterback. They may get a few opportunities since the 49ers rank 31st in sacks allowed with 3.5 per game. In the first quarter of home games, Detroit doesn’t waste time reaching the end zone, putting up 8.3 points. Given that San Francisco has the league-low average time of possession of 26:28, look for the Lions to be in charge this week.
Across the field, the 49ers head into Week 16 with records of 6-8 ATS and 4-10 SU. Over their last five games, the 49ers have a SU record of 1-4 and a 2-3 record ATS. The 49ers rarely get penalized, receiving the third-fewest penalty yards in the league with 49 per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – Det, ATS Winner – Det, O/U – Under
Notes
Detroit is 6-12 ATS in its last 18 games.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Detroit’s last 10 games.
Detroit is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games.
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games.
Detroit is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit’s last 6 games at home.
Detroit is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games at home.
Detroit is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Francisco.
Detroit is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing San Francisco.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Detroit’s last 7 games when playing San Francisco.
Detroit is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Francisco.
San Francisco is 3-0 SU when leading at the start of the fourth quarter this season. Detroit is 4-2 SU when leading after three quarters.
When it comes to passing this season, Detroit is rated higher on both sides of the ball. Its ninth-ranked passing attack will face the 26th-ranked pass defense of San Francisco, while its 12th-ranked pass defense will look to limit the 30th-ranked passing game of the 49ers.
San Francisco has allowed 31.4 points per game on the road, which is ranked only 30th in the league. Detroit has put up 24.4 points per game at home (ranked 16th overall).
