It might be a new NFL betting season, but some things never change with the Detroit Lions coming off a fourth-quarter collapse in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears. The Green Bay Packers won their first game of the season, going into Minnesota and hanging 43 points on the Vikings.
Oddsmakers are expecting another Green Bay victory in Week 2 with NFL odds opening the Packers as 6-point favorites at home and the Over/Under set at 47.5.
We break down the NFL odds for Week 2 with our free picks and predictions for the Lions vs. Packers on Sunday, September 20, with kickoff at 1 p.m. ET.
Detroit Lions vs Green Bay Packers betting preview
Weather
It's expected to a clear day at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with temperatures in the 60's and 79 percent humidity. Crossfield breezes will reach up to 11 miles per hour.
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NFL weather info.
Key Injuries
Lions: Halapoulivaati Vaitai T (Out), Kenny Golladay WR (Out), Desmond Trufant CB (Out), Hunter Bryant TE (Out), Bo Scarbrough RB (Out), Geronimo Allison WR (Out), Jayron Kearse S (Out), John Atkins DL (Out)
Packers: Kenny Clark DT (Out), Lane Taylor G (Out), Devin Funchess WR (Out)
Find our latest NFL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 20-7 in the Packers last 27 games in September. Find more NFL betting trends for Lions vs. Packers.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
If the Packers organization had decided to focus on the future after drafting a quarterback in Round 1 and a running back in Round 2, they forgot to tell longtime franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The future Hall of Famer looked as good as ever against the Vikings, completing 72.7 percent of his passes for 364 yards and four touchdowns while the Packers ground game added another 158 yards against a Minnesota defense that was expected to be good.
The Lions defense surrendered 400.4 yards per game last season, the second-worst mark in the NFL, and while they added a few pieces in the offseason I'm not convinced they are much better. While getting back a healthy Matt Stafford gives Detroit's offense a significant boost, they still lack the playmakers and make way too many mistakes to match the explosiveness of Green Bay.
The Lions seem to always play well against the Packers, going 6-0 ATS in the previous six games in the head-to-head. That said, the favorite has gone 12-4 ATS in the last 16 meetings and the Packers looked like the much sharper team in Week 1. Take Green Bay to win and cover.
PREDICTION: Green Bay -6 (-110)
Over/Under pick
The Lions offense looked strong against the Bears, piling up 426 yards and 23 points, and they could have very well added another touchdown (and a victory) if not for a late drop in the endzone from rookie D'Andre Swift.
Stafford looked healthy and threw for 297 yards while spreading the ball out between multiple targets, and Adrian Peterson just keeps chugging along at the age of 35, rushing for 93 yards on 14 carries against the Bears. Although the Pack pummeled the Vikings on Sunday, they did allow 34 points by the end of the game so the Lions offense should have some success.
As for the Lions pass defense, it's been among the worst in the league for years and despite continuing to invest in free agency and the draft they just can't seem to turn things around. They let Mitchell Trubisky look like Aaron Rodgers last week and now they have to deal with the actual Rodgers coming off a phenomenal performance in Week 1.
PREDICTION: Over 47.5 (-110)
First Half Prop Bet
The Lions tendency to fall apart in the fourth quarter might be infuriating for Detroit fans but it could be profitable for bettors. Last year Detroit had the lead or was tied in the fourth quarter in 11 games — and went 3-7-1 in those contests. And they managed to stick around early in games despite having David Blough and Jeff Driskel under center for half the season.
As a matter of fact, in the last seven meetings between these NFC North foes, Detroit has led at halftime in every contest with an average score of 17-4. Take the Lions on the first-half spread.
PREDICTION: First half Detroit +3.5 (-110)
Lions vs Packers betting card
- Green Bay -6 (-110)
- Over 47.5 (-110)
- First half Detroit +3.5 (-110)
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