The opening betting lines for Week 13 have been released and the Detroit Lions are huge favorites over the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving Day.
The Detroit Lions (10-1) are back home in Week 12, for their annual Thanksgiving game, and this year, they welcome in their NFC North rival, the Chicago Bears (4-7), who are fighting to stay in the hunt for the division.
The Lions have not won on Thanksgiving since 2016, but that could be changing this year, as the folks over at FanDuel Sportsbook have tabbed Detroit as heavy favorites in this game with the betting line being set at Lions -10.5 points.
The Lions are in the midst of some pretty remarkable streaks right now. They’re off to the best start in franchise history, their nine-game win streak is the second-longest in team history, it’s the first time they’ve won 10+ games in back-to-back seasons, they have scored a rushing touchdown in 25 straight games (an NFL record) and have not allowed a touchdown to be scored against them in the last 10 quarters of football—just to name a few.
They’ll be looking to keep these streaks rolling against the Bears.
This offseason, the Bears walked out of the NFL draft with two top 10 picks, after selecting quarterback Caleb Williams first overall and then followed that up by grabbing wide receiver Rome Odunze with pick No. 9 overall. Additionally, they traded for slot receiver Keenan Allen and signed former Lions running back D’Andre Swift. The Bears were loading up on offense in hopes of a quick return to glory.
Expectations were high for the Bears at the beginning of the season, and a 4-2 start got their fans hyped for what could be. Unfortunately, wins over the Titans, Jaguars, Panthers, and a depleted Rams teams proved to only be fools gold, as Chicago has not won a game since, losing their last five games to the Commanders, Cardinals, Patriots (LOL), Packers, and Vikings.
While the Bears’ defense has played well, their offense, despite the high-profile additions, has struggled to put up points. Over their five-game losing streak, they’ve averaged just 14.5 points per game, though they are coming off a game where they put up 27 points on a tough Vikings defense. But if they hope to keep pace with the Lions’ top-scoring offense, the Bears will likely need to raise their game to an even higher level on Thanksgiving.
