The Detroit Lions (7-7) travel to Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers (5-9) Saturday at 1 p.m. ET (FOX). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Lions vs. Panthers odds, and make our expert NFL picks and predictions.
The Lions are on a 6-game winning streak and chasing a playoff berth in the NFC. They beat the Jets 20-17 last Sunday as 2.5-point underdogs. QB Jared Goff has led a high-octane offense sparked by RBs Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Since moving back to Sam Darnold at QB, the Panthers have been playing better. They lost 24-16 to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week as 2.5-point favorites at home. While coach Steve Wilks has the team playing hard, the Lions are hungry and their offense can overmatch many defenses. The Panthers defense will have trouble containing the weapons Detroit can throw at them and this could lead to a lopsided game.
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Lions at Panthers odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:05 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Lions -140 (bet $140 to win $100) | Panthers +120 (bet $100 to win $120)
- Against the spread (ATS): Lions -2.5 (-118) | Panthers +2.5 (-102)
- Over/Under (O/U): 43.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Lions at Panthers key injuries
Lions
- OL Kayode Awosika (ankle) out
- OT Taylor Decker (elbow) questionable
- S DeShon Elliott (shoulder) out
- C Frank Ragnow (foot) questionable
Panthers
- C Pat Elflein (hip) out
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Lions at Panthers picks and predictions
Prediction
Lions 30, Panthers 17
Moneyline
PASS.
Detroit’s -140 price is a satisfactory number for the Lions. Especially in a parlay. But the Lions will cover the spread so I would rather make a play there and save the juice.
Against the spread
BET LIONS -2.5 (-118).
Even if you do not feel the Lions will blow out the Panthers, getting the Lions at under an FG is excellent value.
The Lions are the better team and even if the bad weather comes as expected, the run game of Williams and Swift can carry the Lions to this victory. Williams leads the NFL with 14 rushing TDs and while the Panthers defense is okay, it’s not great. The Detroit offensive line has been stellar so far and the Lions will score 1 way or another.
Over/Under
BET OVER 43.5 (-110).
Detroit games are 9-5 to the Over this season while the Panthers are 6-8 to the Over. I expect the Lions to control the pace of this game and this means a lot of possessions and a lot of points should be in store. Many of the games have lower totals this weekend because of weather concerns. But this game should not be among them and the number is too low. OVER 43.5 (-110) is my FAVORITE PLAY.
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