Packers, Lions Clash In Motown

Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions will look to score a rare win over the Green Bay Packers.

Longtime rivals collide Sunday afternoon as the Detroit Lions host the Green Bay Packers in what promises to be a grueling NFC North encounter.

Kickoff at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET.

The Story So Far

Green Bay (1-1, 0-1 road) opened the season with a road loss to the defending champion Seattle Seahawks in a game that wasn’t anywhere near as close as most anticipated it to be. The 36-16 final seemed to reinforce the common belief that the Seahawks are NFC favorites this season.

Last weekend, Mike McCarthy’s team bounded back with a 31-24 victory over the New York Jets at Lambeau Field. It took an 80-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Jordy Nelson with just over two minutes left in the game for the Packers to inch away, leaving some more uncertainty about whether this team is a contender or not.

Detroit (1-1, 1-0 home) christened this season’s Monday Night Football schedule with a convincing win over the New York Giants, leaning on the familiar pairing of Matthew Stafford (22-of-32, 346 yards) and Calvin Johnson ( 7 receptions, 164 yards), who combined for a pair of touchdowns in the 35-14 whitewash.

Things didn’t go so well in Week 2. The Lions headed for Charlotte, N.C., where they were soundly beaten by the returning Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers reeled off 17 points in the final 18 minutes of the game, overturning a 7-6 deficit in the third quarter. A week after a dominant offensive performance, the Lions, shutout at half time, could manage just one solitary touchdown.

As with the NFC North in general, there’s still much to learn about both sides as the season progresses. Neither yet has shown whether it will contend. Sunday’s game could provide further disclosure in that regard.

The NFC North Landscape

With the division knotted up in its entirety, Sunday’s game gives each team a chance to boast its credentials, particularly with both the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings on the road this weekend. With this being the NFC North’s first intra-division game of the season, the winner will top the division.

The Packers entered the season as the favorite to emerge with a division championship, an accolade the team retains through two weeks of the season. Online sportsbook Bovada currently lists the Packers at even odds to win the division, ahead of the Bears and Lions – both listed at 3/1.

Detroit’s win on the opening Monday night of the season showed promise, but last week’s drubbing leaves a question mark firmly next to the team’s name. Can the Lions find their winning form as they return to Ford Field?

Head-to-Head

In a rivalry that dates all the way back to 1930, Green Bay leads the all-time head-to-head series 96-66-7.

The two teams split a pair last season, each winning at home. In the second of those games, the Lions defeated the Rodgers-less Packers 40-10 at Ford Field on Thanksgiving, snapping a five-game losing streak in the series.

The Packers have won 15 of the last 17 meetings, and 23 of 27 since December 2000. During that same stretch, the Packers have gone 9-4 on the road in the series.

Detroit is 42-39-3 when hosting Green Bay, but just 4-8 since making the switch from the Pontiac Silverdome to Ford Field.

Injury Report

Green Bay will be without linebackers Brad Jones (quadriceps) and Andy Mulumba (knee). Safety Micah Hyde expects to be ready to play after leaving last Sunday’s game with a knee injury.

Detroit will be without linebacker Travis Lewis (quadriceps), cornerback Cassius Vaughn (ankle) and tackle LaAdrian Waddle (calf), while safety James Ihedigbo (neck) and running back Montell Owens (hamstring) are listed as doubtful.

Meanwhile, wide receiver Kevin Ogletree was released by the Lions on Saturday to make way for cornerback Mohammed Seisay.

Check out the injury list in full

After leaving last week’s game with an injury, Green Bay safety Micah Hyde expects to play Sunday.

Betting Report

Below you’ll find Betting Sports’ breakdown of odds and betting trends.

Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions odds for 09/21/2014

Moneyline: Detroit (-132) opened as a narrow favorite over Green Bay (+120) on the moneyline, despite the Packers’ recent success in the head-to-head series.

Sunday’s game marks the sixth time Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford have taken to the field against each other. Rodgers is 5-0 in the head-to-head matchup.

Spread: The spread opened at 2 in favor of the Lions and has climbed as high as 2.5, although Bovada currently lists it at just 1. Don’t be surprised if there’s movement again between now and kickoff.

Both the Packers (1-1-0 ATS) and Lions (1-1-0 ATS) have posted even record against the spread to open the series. The Packers are 5-1-0 ATS in their last six games against the Lions, and 6-2-0 ATS in their last eight trips to Detroit, making them a solid bet against the spread.

Total: The total opened at 52 and has climbed one-half point with most sportsbooks.

Both teams have split the over/under evenly through the first two games of the season.

The total has gone under in five of the last seven head-to-head matchups, and four of the last five the two sides have played at Ford Field.

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