The outside world sure believes the Green Bay Packers are going to put a big hurting on the Detroit Lions on Monday night at Lambeau Field.
The Packers opened the week as a 10.5-point betting favorite over the Lions, per Tipico Sportsbook, but the line has since moved to 11.5 points.
Why the confidence? The Packers might have opened the season with a 38-3 defeat, but they are 6-0 after losses under Matt LaFleur, including five wins of 10 or more points. This team has responded well to adversity, at least in the recent past. And Aaron Rodgers, the 2020 NFL MVP, is usually terrific after poor games.
Our weekly collaborative preview series determining which team has the winning edge within the matchup pointed strongly in the Packers’ direction.
Pickwatch tracks predictions from around the world of NFL media. Over 99 percent are taking the Packers over the Lions.
Any reason for concern? Well, the Packers did just lose by 35 points. The Lions were down big to the 49ers in Week 1 but rallied and nearly tied the game late. Division games can be tricky, especially in primetime, and Dan Campbell has a new team with new coordinators and a new quarterback, creating an unknown element. Also, the forecast in Green Bay is calling for the potential of rain, another possible hurdle for the favorite.
And history is on the Lions’ side.
Last season, the Packers went 0-3 against the spread as a favorite of nine or more points, including once against the Lions. LaFleur’s team was a 13.5-point favorite at home over the Jaguars but won by only four points.
In fact, since LaFleur became coach in 2019, the Packers have been favored by nine or more points five times. The team is 5-0 straight up but 0-5 against the spread.
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