>The Detroit Lions have a forecast 56% chance to win against The Chicago Bears with a spread of -1.0/1.0 and an over/under of 42.5. The Detroit Lions are 0 – 1 against The Chicago Bears in the 2021-22 Season.
— Thursday, November 25th Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions
Week 12 of the NFL season gives us three Thanksgiving Day games, starting with the 3-7 Chicago Bears at the 0-9-1 Detroit Lions. This will be the third time in four years these teams have met on holiday, and the Bears have won the previous two. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. from Ford Field in Detroit, and the game will air on FOX.
The Lions have played on Thanksgiving every year since 1934, except for during World War II. Overall they are 37-42-2 in Thanksgiving games, and Chicago is 19-15-2. The Bears beat the Lions 24-14 earlier this season, are 6-1 the last four years, and lead the series 103-75-5.
Who Plays QB for Bears?
The big news for the Chicago Bears this week will be who starts at quarterback. Justin Fields left Sunday’s game against the Ravens with a rib injury, and all signs point to Andy Dalton getting the nod. Dalton went 11-for-23 for 201 yards and two touchdown passes in relief of Fields in Sunday’s 16-13 loss.
No matter who starts at quarterback, the Bears have issues. Defensive end Khalil Mack is out of the season, the Bears offense is stagnant, fans chanted for the head coach to be fired during the game last week, and Chicago has lost four in a row.
Dalton has started two games this season and has a career record of 75-67-2 in 11 seasons. So far this year, he has completed 66 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and one interception. Fields struggled again on Sunday before the injury as he completed just 4-of-11 passes for 79 yards.
David Montgomery, who has dealt with injuries of his own this season, leads the Bears with 430 rushing yards and three touchdowns in six games. He was held to 58 yards on 14 carries against the Ravens and had one catch for nine yards.
Darnell Mooney had another big game at wideout, including a 60-yard touchdown as he hauled in five passes for 121 yards. On the season, he leads the team with 41 catches for 571 yards and three touchdowns. Allen Robinson has been limited by a hamstring injury and is likely out again on Thursday.
Lions In Need of First Win
For the Lions, quarterback Jared Goff could return after missing Sunday’s loss to the Browns. He was a limited participant in practice on Monday and Tuesday and is hoping to miss just one game. In his place, Tim Boyle went 15-for-23 for just 77 yards with two interceptions in the 13-10 loss.
Goff has yet to win in his first season with the Lions. In nine games, he has six interceptions to go with eight touchdowns, and he has been sacked 26 times. Goff has completed 66 percent of his passes for 2,109 yards, but the deep threat isn’t there for the Lions, who average just 6.2 yards per attempt.
Running back D’Andre Swift has taken over as the Lions’ primary ball carrier with 14 rushes for 136 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. He has 555 yards and four touchdowns on the season, while Jamaal Williams has 323 yards and two scores. Williams missed two games but returned last week to carry the ball seven times.
Tight end T.J. Hockenson leads the Lions with 54 catches, one more than Swift. Hockenson has 499 yards and two touchdowns, tied for the team lead with Swift, Quintez Cephus, and Kalif Raymond. Amon-Ra St. Brown has the most catches for a wide receiver with 35, while Raymond has 363 receiving yards.
Betting Analysis
- Chicago Bears -3 (-110). Money Line -160
- Detroit Lions +3 (-110). Money Line +140
- Total Points: 41.5. Over -115. Under -105
The Lions are winless, but they are still 6-4 ATS on the season while the Bears are 4-6 and the under is 7-3 in both teams’ games this year. Chicago has scored more than 20 points just once in the last six games, while the Lions have only scored more than 20 in the season-opening 41-33 loss to the 49ers.
Even though the defenses have been poor, it is hard to imagine this game turning into a Thanksgiving shootout.
Betting Pick: Under 41.5 points (-105)
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