Detroit Lions, who are over .500 against the spread, are slight underdogs vs. Bears on Thanksgiving

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell gestures to his team during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Don Wright)
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ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions might not have a win this season or in their last 14 tries, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t making life hard for bettors.

Detroit (0-9-1) is 6-4 against the spread this season, one of the better records in that department in the NFL, trailing only the Titans, Colts, Patriots, Cardinals, Cowboys and Packers. Most oddsmakers have the Lions as 3.5-point underdogs for their Thanksgiving game against the Chicago Bears, with 65% of early bettors reportedly riding Detroit in this one. The Bears are 4-6 against the spread, for those wondering.

The Lions have continued to keep (most) games close this season despite scoring more than 20 points only once, way back in the wacky season opener against the San Francisco 49ers. Detroit’s defense has been strong since the bye, holding the Steelers to 16 points through overtime and limiting the Browns to 13 points in last week’s loss.

The main problem has been on the offensive side of the ball, with the toothless passing attack hitting new lows. Jared Goff didn’t cross the 100-yard passing mark until his final attempt in the team’s tie in Pittsburgh, with Tim Boyle throwing for only 77 yards in the first start of his career. An NFL Network report suggests Boyle will get another crack on Turkey Day, but it’s worth noting Goff threw to open the week and is expected to do so again leading into the game.

Lions coach Dan Campbell has maintained that Goff will return to action when he’s ready to go, with it not sounding out of the picture on the short week.

“Yeah, he felt better, so we’re gonna see where he can go,” Campbell said on Monday. “Gave him a couple walkthrough reps. Tim’s still preparing, so we’ll see where we’re at.

“He threw this morning. I wanted to see him throw, so he threw this morning, you know, early. (He) went out there and looked pretty good. We’ll do it again tomorrow.”

On the other side, the Bears have lost five straight games since creeping above .500 and are expected to start quarterback Andy Dalton in Detroit. Prized rookie Justin Fields left Chicago’s loss to the Ravens with a rib injury and isn’t likely to be able to go without a full week’s worth of recovery, per reports. Dalton found some success for the Bears last week, nearly leading the team to a win against the Ravens before their defense allowed a touchdown in the final minute. Dalton completed 11 of 23 attempts for 201 yards with two touchdowns.

He’s completed 48 of 73 passes for 471 yards with three touchdowns and one interception through his first year in Chicago. Dalton has faced the Lions twice as a starting quarterback, both times while with the Cincinnati Bengals. His teams have won both games, while he’s thrown for 610 yards with four touchdowns and one pick.

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