Bragging rights, pride, the top spot in the NFC North standings, and much more will be at stake on Thursday evening in Wisconsin as the Green Bay Packers (2-1) play host to division rivals the Detroit Lions (2-1) at Lambeau Field.
The Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears are yet to claim their maiden wins this season, meaning the stage is set for a two-horse race for the NFC North throne, raising the stakes ahead of the Thursday Night Football action.
The Lions open up as 1-point favorites on the road, while the Over/Under line is set at 45 points. We will cover everything you need to know ahead of the big game and share our top betting options in the process.
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The Packers are Looking to Ride the Momentum
Green Bay completed one of the craziest comebacks of the season last weekend. They entered the game’s final quarter against the New Orleans Saints with a 0-17 deficit. Nevertheless, rookie quarterback Jordan Love suddenly got big enough to take the team to three successive scores as the defensive unit completed its part in a massive 18-17 victory at the end. It will be very interesting to see whether the hosts can take advantage of momentum on the back of an impeccable last quarter against New Orleans.
The Packers started slow in this season’s games. They’ve only scored 20 of their 80 points in this term’s first half. The team still needs time to adjust to life without Aaron Rodgers. Love throws for 218.3 yards per game on average, while the Packers average just over 90 rushing yards per match this season. Love ended the clash against the Saints with a passing and a rushing TD, but he had a dismal performance in general, completing 22 of 44 passes for just 259 yards on the occasion.
The Packers will also rely on tradition in home games against divisional rivals, having lost just a single match against the NFC North rivals at Lambeau Field since 2019. The bad news for their fans is that this lone defeat came just against the Lions on the last day of the regular season last year. Detroit stunned the fully motivated Packers, who needed a win to secure the postseason action on the occasion.
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Sam LaPorta Writes History for the Lions
The Lions got off to a dream start to the season by edging past the reigning Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs. However, we’ve seen a drop in their showings in the following two games. While the defense struggled badly in the Week 2 loss at the Seattle Seahawks, Detroit’s offensive unit was well below par last weekend in a 20-6 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
The score may not reveal it, but Dan Campbell’s offensive unit has faced serious problems against the Falcons. The Lions converted just 4 of 14 third downs and wasted 119 yards on 10 penalties on the occasion as well. Lack of discipline could bring much more serious consequences in the divisional matchup against the Packers.
Jared Goff did not shine with 243 passing yards (22-for-33), one passing, and one rushing score. However, we must praise two other men. The first is Sam LaPorta. He became the maiden TE with at least five catches in each of his inaugural three NFL affairs. The rookie also marked the last weekend’s match by catching the maiden touchdown of his career. Amon-Ra St. Brown, the second man well worth mentioning, caught the ball nine times for 102 yards last time out.
In terms of defense, Detroit has done much better on the ground, as they are fifth in the league in rushing yards allowed per game this season. Things are seemingly different when it comes to pass defense, as the Lions allow 225.3 passing yards per game this season, which puts them in 19th place in the country in this department.
Best Pick — Detroit Lions -1 (-110) with BetMGM
Despite both teams sitting on positive records going into this tie, neither the Detroit Lions nor Green Bay Packers have left us amazed so far in the season. Green Bay is struggling badly in the offense. The outcome of this game will rely heavily on Jordan Love’s performance, as we expect the Packers to pass the ball more often than not to avoid Detroit’s elite rush defense.
Love took the team to a 4th-quarter comeback against the Saints last weekend, but this will be too difficult of a challenge for him. The Lions will know how to pressure him after sacking Atlanta’s quarterback Desmond Ridder seven times in the previous game. We can hardly see the Lions dropping the ball here; hence, we like their win in a -1 spread with BetMGM.
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Alternative Pick — Under 45 Points (-110) with DraftKings
While we are not looking at a big line, there is a lot of merit in going for the Under here. The Packers should struggle to move the ball around on every single possession, while the Lions’ offense did not thrive in the last game in particular. The fact Detroit converted only 4 of 14 third downs while being flagged for 10 penalties against the Falcons says enough. We expect a very nervous affair with plenty at stake for the divisional rivals, meaning the Under 45 points have to be the way to go for the first game of the Week 4 program.
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