One of the NFL’s oldest traditions continues Thursday as the Detroit Lions host the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving Day. The nationally televised contest kicks off at 12:30 p.m. ET on CBS. The 7-3 Bears have taken control of the NFC North with a four-game winning streak, while the 4-6 Lions can get back into the wild-card mix with a victory. With the health of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (shoulder) in question, the Bears are 3.5-point favorites, while the over-under is 44 in the latest Lions vs. Bears odds. Before you make any Lions vs. Bears picks, check out what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say.
The advanced computer model simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, and those who have followed it have seen massive returns. SportsLine’s proprietary computer model went 176-80 last season and beat over 95 percent of CBS Office Pool players in 2016 and ’17. It also performed better than 98 percent of experts tracked by NFLPickWatch.com during that span. Additionally, it went 48-34 on A-rated picks against the spread last season, and $100 bettors who followed it the past two seasons are up nearly $4,000.
The model has continued to nail its top-rated picks in 2018, entering Week 12 on a blistering 12-0 run. For the season, it is now 26-9 on all top-rated picks, extending its two-year run to a strong 74-43. And when it comes to all straight-up picks, the model is 105-53 this season, again ranking in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch.com. Anybody who has been following it is way, way up.
Now the model has dialed in on Bears vs. Lions on Thanksgiving Day (stream on fuboTV). We can tell you it’s leaning over, but it also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can only see that one at SportsLine.
The model has factored in that the Bears could be without Trubisky, who didn’t practice Tuesday after suffering a shoulder injury during the team’s win over the Vikings on “Sunday Night Football.” If he can’t go, the Bears will be in good hands with backup Chase Daniel, who hasn’t started a game since 2014 but worked with Bears head coach Matt Nagy in Kansas City and understands the offense. Daniel has only one career interception.
The Bears’ defense will be in full effect no matter who’s under center for Chicago. The Monsters of the Midway sacked Stafford six times in their earlier meeting this season, a 34-22 Bears win that was not nearly as close as the score indicates. Stafford threw two picks and Detroit put the ball on the ground three times, losing one.
But just because the Bears boast an impressive defense doesn’t mean they’ll cover, especially against a challenging divisional rival that has won eight of the past 10 in the series.
As long as Matthew Stafford lines up under center, the Lions are a threat to score in a hurry. The veteran quarterback has thrown for over 2,600 yards and 17 touchdowns despite losing his top receiver Golden Tate via trade. Wideout Kenny Golladay is a star in the making with a spectacular 15.2-yard-per-reception average. He’s also tops on the squad with 714 receiving yards and five scores.
Detroit has covered four of its past five Thanksgiving Day NFL games.
Who wins Bears vs. Lions? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to be all over on Thanksgiving, all from the incredible computer model that has returned nearly $4,000 to $100 bettors.
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