Lions vs. Packers Odds: Point Spread, Total & Prediction

Getty Brett Huntley had two weeks to prepare for Detroit.

Brett Hundley has had extra time to prepare for his primetime debut. The Packers return from the bye week Monday night to host the Lions in a pivotal NFC North matchup.

Because their franchise quarterback does not have a broken collarbone, the Lions are de facto favorites in Lambeau. Vegas has the spread hovering around two points on Monday, with the total at 42.5.

The OddsShark computer is predicting a score of 21.2-19. That would give the Lions a narrow cover, and the total would fall just under.

Hundley wasn’t terrible in his debut two weeks ago against the Saints, considering what people are saying now about the Saints defense. Hundley and the Packers had a 17-16 lead in the fourth quarter, but made mistakes late contributing to a 26-17 defeat. Now the Packers are looking to avoid a three-game losing streak on Monday, while the Lions are looking to avoid dropping a fourth straight.

A strong start has turned sour for Detroit, who are 3-4 entering Sunday. A goal-line call reversal prevented the Lions from a 4-0 start, and the team has since run into a buzzsaw of playoff contenders. But the Lions want to be included amongst that group, and they need to keep pace with the Vikings atop the division. The second half schedule is kind to Detroit, and their playoff push could start Monday in Green Bay.

Fortunately for their young quarterback, the Packers discovered their running game right as Rodgers went down. Aaron Jones has been a revelation in the backfield, averaging 5.6 yards on 62 carries this season. He touched the ball 17 times for 131 yards against the Saints, and should see a similar if not larger workload moving forward.

If not for Rodgers being out, we might have a shootout on our hands. Detroit and Green Bay are ranked 22nd and 23d respectively in yards allowed per game, and both teams average at least 23 points allowed per game. Golden Tate should be fully recovered for the Lions, and they should have success passing on Green Bay. If Stafford can minimize the turnovers and the defense can pressure Hundley, I like the Lions to end their slide and get back to .500.

Heavy’s Pick: Lions 29 Packers 21. Lions Cover -2 Spread. Over on the Point Total.