The Detroit Lions have one other playoff-level matchup on the docket this week towards an AFC opponent.
The Lions (12-1) host the Buffalo Payments (10-3) on Sunday in a cross-conference battle of heavyweights who’ve already clinched a playoff spot. The Lions locked up at the least an NFC wild-card berth with final week’s win over the Packers and stay within the driver’s seat for the highest general seed. The Payments gained the AFC East for the fifth straight yr by Week 12.
In line with BetMGM, Detroit is a 1½-point favourite within the Tremendous Bowl contender matchup. At first of Week 15, the Lions have the most effective odds of profitable the Tremendous Bowl at +260 and the Payments are fourth at +600.
After three video games in lower than two weeks, Detroit has 10 days off between the win over the Packers and internet hosting the Payments at Ford Subject within the second-to-last dwelling recreation of the common season. The Lions have gained a franchise-record 11 straight video games and have the chance to set the report for many wins in a season with a victory in any of the remaining 4 video games.
The Lions have a 79% likelihood of clinching the highest seed within the NFC after this weekend’s video games, in keeping with the New York Occasions’ NFL playoff simulator, and will push that quantity to as excessive as 86% with a win, it doesn’t matter what the Minnesota Vikings or Philadelphia Eagles do that weekend. If the Lions lose and the Eagles and Vikings win, Detroit would maintain the identical report even when they held the tiebreaker benefit, and their odds on the high seed would slip to 61%.
Within the easiest phrases, that is one other large recreation for the Lions’ general aim of locking up the highest seed for the best doable playoff path. It comes towards one other bona fide Tremendous Bowl contender in Buffalo, who has the MVP favourite, quarterback Josh Allen, main them.
Allen has been a maestro for the Payments’ offense, averaging a second-best 30.5 factors per recreation simply behind Detroit, with 3,033 passing yards, a 23-to-5 passing landing to interception ratio, 416 speeding yards (fifth-most by a quarterback) and 9 speeding touchdowns. Buffalo has maintained its stage as an AFC contender regardless of dropping a variety of contributors together with Stefon Diggs, Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde on protection.
Buffalo’s protection acquired shredded on Sunday by Matthew Stafford and the Rams offense in a 44-42 loss handy the Payments their first loss since Oct. 6. Earlier than the loss, the Payments had gained seven straight and held six of these opponents to 21 factors or fewer. Allen accounted for 424 of offense and had an NFL-record six touchdowns, however it could not overcome an equal efficiency from the Rams offense plus a blocked punt returned for a landing.
The Lions overcame extra accidents within the win over Inexperienced Bay and will have a few of these contributors again towards Buffalo. The Lions had been with out left deal with Taylor Decker, defensive linemen Josh Paschal, D.J. Reader and Levi Onwuzurike and misplaced linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez to a season-ending harm so as to add to the ever-growing IR listing. Detroit additionally had defensive deal with Alim McNeill exit with a head harm. The standing of most of those gamers stays within the air, however Detroit ought to have extra our bodies out there than final week.
Listed below are the complete betting traces for Lions-Payments, plus a fast prediction and the best way to watch on Sunday.
Lions vs. Payments Week 15 prediction
The Lions offense regarded like a machine final week towards Inexperienced Bay exterior of some hiccups, whereas the protection crammed with new faces discovered sufficient stops to maintain the streak alive. The prospect of getting these stops towards Allen, the most effective quarterback the Lions face this season, might be more durable. Detroit needs to be more healthy on the defensive position to assist neutralize James Prepare dinner and the working recreation, however Allen’s heroics in each the go and working assault might be one thing Detroit has not needed to actually defend but this season. Detroit will sustain on the scoreboard although by working the ball on a Payments protection that struggled bringing down Kyren Williams towards the Rams. Allen will go down swinging with big-play fireworks and eventually ship the blow to Detroit in a late-game state of affairs. The choose: Payments 31, Lions 28
Lions vs. Invoice Week 15 odds
- Unfold: Lions by 1½ factors.
- Moneyline: Lions -125, Payments +105.
- Level whole over/below: 54 factors.
Odds supplied by BetMGM as of Monday afternoon.
Lions vs. Payments TV channel, begin time
- TV channel: CBS.
- Date: Sunday, Dec 15.
- Begin time: 4:25 p.m. ET.
- The place: Ford Subject, Detroit.
- Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1) in Detroit (discover all Lions radio associates).
- Streaming: On Fubo or Paramount+.
We sometimes suggest fascinating services and products. When you make a purchase order by clicking one of many hyperlinks, we might earn an affiliate charge. USA TODAY Community newsrooms function independently, and this doesn’t affect our protection.
