Packers Host Lions With Division On The Line
The Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions clash Sunday with the NFC North title up for grabs.
The fate of the NFC North title will be decided Sunday as the Green Bay Packers host the Detroit Lions.
Kickoff at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET.
Whilst last weekend’s results were enough to secure each side a postseason berth, both the Lions and Packers can finish as high as No. 1 or as low as No. 6 in the NFC. A win for either side will ensure a first round bye, which means there’s plenty to play for in this one.
The Story So Far
Detroit (11-4, 4-3 road) punched its ticket to the postseason last weekend with a come-from-behind victory over the Chicago Bears. The victory marked the Lions’ fourth success in a row, and sets up a much-anticipated rematch with the Packers.
The Lions earned a 19-7 victory over the Packers at Ford Field in Detroit back in September. The win still remains the marquee result on the Lions’ 11-4 record, a record that is in some ways over exaggerated thanks to a soft schedule.
The Lions have faced just five teams that currently own a winning record. Jim Caldwell’s side is 2-3 in those games, with wins over the Packers and Miami Dolphins, and losses to the Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots. The Lions didn’t ask for this schedule though and they’ll have their heads held high as they advance to only a second postseason appearance in 15 years.
Whether or not they arrive in the playoffs as a division champion or wild card will be determined in this one.
The Lions can secure the No. 1 seed in the conference with a win over the Packers and losses for the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals.
Green Bay (11-4, 7-0 home) has waited 14 weeks for Sunday’s date with the Lions.
Aaron Rodger’s famously told everybody to R-E-L-A-X after the loss to the Lions, and promptly led the Packers to 10 wins over the next 12 games. The next win could be crucial though.
The Packers are 7-0 at Lambeau Field this season. An undefeated home record will mean Mike McCarty’s side bypasses the wild card round and advances to the divisional stages, where the team will host a game. No road team wants to play at a cold (snowy?) Lambeau Field, so home field advantage could be huge.
The Packers could earn home field advantage for the duration of the NFC portion of the postseason with a win over the Lions on Sunday and losses for both the Cardinals and Seahawks.
Head-to-Head
This rivalry stretches all the way back to 1930, when the Lions were based in Ohio and known as the Portsmouth Spartans.
Green Bay leads the all-time head-to-head series 96-67-7.
The Lions have won two straight in the series though, including September’s surprise victory. Those two wins put paid to a five-game losing streak against the Packers and a run of 10 losses in 11 games, dating back to December 2005.
If history is anything to go by, Jim Caldwell’s side will need a football miracle to make it three wins on the bounce.
The Packers are 57-24-4 all-time when hosting the Lions at Lambeau Field, and have won 23 straight home games against Detroit.
To put that in perspective, the Lions haven’t won in Green Bay since December 15, 1991. Could this be the year that this epic streak comes to a close?
After getting the better of the Packers in Week 3, can the Lions now snap a 23-game losing streak at Lambeau Field?
Betting Report
Below you’ll find Betting Sports’ breakdown of odds and betting trends.
Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers odds for 12/28/2014
Moneyline: With a 23-game home winning streak over the Lions, it should come as no surprise that Green Bay opened as the favorite over Detroit on the moneyline.
Spread: The spread opened at 7.5 in favor of the Packers.
Green Bay (8-6-1 ATS) has fared slightly better against the spread than Detroit (7-8-0 ATS) has this season.
The Packers are 5-1-1 ATS when playing at home and 8-3-1 ATS when considered the favorite.
The Lions are 2-5-0 ATS on the road and 2-2-0 ATS when playing as the underdog.
Detroit has covered the spread just three times in its last nine games. Green Bay has failed to cover in three of its last five.
The Lions covered the spread in the earlier meeting between the sides this season. However, the Lions are just 2-5-0 ATS in their last seven trips to Lambeau Field.
Total: The total opened at 48.
Green Bay (10-5-0 O/U) has favored the over this season while Detroit (4-11-0 O/U) has favored the under.
While the Packers have preferred the over, four of the team’s last five games have finished with the under paying out. The under has also paid out in six of Detroit’s last eight games.
Week 3’s meetings between the sides saw the total go under, something that has happed in four of the last five head-to-head meetings.
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