The opening betting lines for Week 9 have been released and the Detroit Lions are road favorites against the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field.
The Detroit Lions (6-1) are back on the road in Week 9 traveling to Wisconsin to take on the Green Bay Packers (6-2) for the Lions’ second divisional road game of the season. Currently, the Lions sit atop the NFC North, while the Packers hold a half-game lead over the Vikings (5-2), despite losing to Minnesota in Week 4.
With the lead in the NFC North on the line, the good folks over at FanDuel Sportsbook have set the opening betting line at Lions -4.5 points.
What’s interesting about this betting line is, that before Week 8’s games were played the line had the Lions getting a point-and-a-half, but following the outcomes, there’s been a six-point swing in Detroit’s favor.
Now, there could be a few reasons for this swing, the first being that Packers quarterback Jordan Love was injured on Sunday against the Jaguars, and was unable to finish the game. At this time, his status is unknown. While that injury alone can shift a betting line, it’s worth noting that Green Bay has done well when they have had to turn to backup Malik Willis, and are 2-0 in games he starts. Love missed Weeks 2 and 3, but has looked strong since his return in Week 4. The Packers have won their last four games, with Love leading them to three victories, while the pair split their most recent win.
It’s also possible that the folks setting the betting lines have considered that the Lions have won their past five games and have looked strong in their wins. Sandwiched in between 38-point victories over the Cowboys and Titans, the Lions had a final-minute field goal to secure a win over the Vikings. Not to be outdone, the Packers have also been clutch in end-of-game scenarios and have won their last two games (over the Texans and Jaguars) on walk-off field goals. While both teams have been proficient in closing the door on their opponents, the way they’ve done it has been different. For example, if we just look at the last four games of each team—remember all wins for both teams—the Packers’ point differential is +29, while the Lions is +91 points.
It’s also worth noting that the Lions have won four of their last five meetings with the Packers, including the last two in Green Bay, but it was the Packers who won their most recent matchup.
Regardless of the reasoning, this will be a battle between two of the top teams in the NFC, with large divisional implications. It’s going to be fun.
