Betting Preview
Game Details
- Matchup: Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears
- Date: Sunday, Dec. 10 (Week 14)
- Time: 1 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. CT
- Location: Soldier Field (Chicago)
Odds Summary
- Moneyline: Lions -176, Bears +148
- Spread: Lions -3 (-122), Bears +3 (+100)
- Total: Over/Under 43.5 (-105/-115)
Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook. Subject to change.
The Detroit Lions (9-3) travel to Chicago to battle the Bears (4-8) in Week 14 of the 2023 NFL schedule. Chicago has surged lately following Justin Fields’ return from injury, winning two of its past three games.
Fields has provided a spark to the Bears’ offense with his multi-dimensional skill set. They narrowly lost 31-26 to the Lions on the road in Week 11, so they have the talent to keep this game close against one of the best teams in the NFC.
Detroit has won four of its past five games and is a game behind the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFL’s top seed. The Lions’ offense has been among the league’s best, but Dan Campbell’s team has many defensive issues.
Despite its defensive flaws, Detroit is still considered a championship contender. It’s currently 18/1 at FanDuel to win the Super Bowl (seventh-best odds), while Chicago is 1000/1 (tied for worst) in the futures market.
Moneyline
The moneyline favors the Lions, which is our favorite wager for this NFC North divisional clash. Good teams find a way to win, and Detroit qualifies as such.
The Lions have struggled defensively, ranking 23rd in points per game allowed. However, they’re 9-3 and win games consistently with a high-powered offense that ranks sixth in points and second in yards.
Quarterback Jared Goff has been the story of the season for Detroit, and we expect him to have a big day throwing the football. He was off against the Bears in Week 11 (three interceptions), but that was an outlier.
Goff is fourth in the NFL in passing yards with 3,288, has thrown 20 touchdowns and sits 10th in QBR. The three-time Pro Bowler is one of the league’s best QBs and has plenty of weapons.
Fields runs the ball well, but he’s an inferior passer and will need to throw often in this game to keep pace with Goff. If the Lions protect the football, they should have an easier time beating Chicago this time.
Point Spread
Detroit is favored by a field goal on the spread, and we recommend laying the points with the Lions.
This line has fluctuated over the past week. It was as high as five points before Week 13, but the Bears’ solid play caused the public to take the points and shift the line toward Chicago.
The Bears did keep their first matchup against Detroit close, but they lost by five points despite Goff’s three interceptions. Goff has not been picked off since, making a repeat performance unlikely.
The Lions are fighting for a top playoff seed, and we expect them to play accordingly. Chicago is in last place and has nothing to play for at this point except better draft position.
The key for Detroit will be containing Fields on the ground. He rushed for a season-high 104 yards against the Lions in Week 11, so they need to do a better job of keeping him in the pocket and forcing him to throw the ball.
If Detroit succeeds, Fields will inevitably make mistakes. He has six interceptions in eight games so far and has only one touchdown pass over his past three games combined.
Unless Fields suddenly transforms into an elite passer, the Lions should beat the Bears by more than a field goal.
Over/Under
The Over/Under is 43.5, and we like the Over in this matchup.
Chicago is 7-5 to the Over and Detroit is 8-4. These are two of the best teams in football for high-scoring games, which showed when they tallied 57 points in Week 11.
The 43.5-point line appears low for these teams. They can score many points with their explosiveness and also surrender a lot of points as two of the worst defensive teams in the league.
The Lions average 27.3 points per game and have scored at least 26 points in four of their last five games. They allow 23.8 points per game and have had major defensive issues lately, yielding an average of 30.3 points over their last four contests.
The Bears have been less consistent on offense, but they’re dangerous with Fields under center. They’ve topped 25 points in three of his last five starts and average 20.2 points per game overall.
Defensively, Chicago is a trainwreck. The Bears give up 24.7 points per game – sixth-most in the NFL.
Combined, these teams average 47.5 points scored per game and 48.5 points allowed per game. Both numbers are above 43.5, making the Over the better play.
Player Prop
A playable prop bet is Jahmyr Gibbs Over 68.5 Rushing + Receiving Yards (-114).
Gibbs is one of Detroit’s most explosive players, but he shares the backfield work with David Montgomery. Montgomery typically operates more as a ballcarrier, while Gibbs is more involved in the passing game.
The 12th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Gibbs is starting to live up to the hype. The 21-year-old rookie has eclipsed 69 scrimmage yards in five of his last six games, surpassing 100 yards three times during that span.
That includes Week 11, when Gibbs racked up 95 total yards on 14 touches against Chicago. Look for the versatile back to be prominently featured again this week, especially if the Lions take an early lead.
Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images
