Week 2 of the NFL season concludes tonight with a Monday Night matchup between two division rivals. The Detroit Lions visit Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers. Both teams are searching for their first victories of the young season.
Oddsmakers are expecting the Packers to bounce back in a big way following their Week 1 debacle against the Saints. Green Bay is currently favored by 11.5 points at most online sportsbooks. Let’s break down the offense and defense of each squad to find out who has the edge.
Detroit Offense vs. Green Bay Defense
You got to hand it to Dan Campbell’s bunch! They were trailing San Francisco by a ton of points but never showed any signs of quitting. The Lions almost pulled off a shocking comeback but ended up losing to the Niners by eight points.
New Lions QB Jared Goff played very well in Week 1 by throwing for 338 yards and three touchdowns. The 26-year old is going to have to get rid of the football quickly against Green Bay’s aggressive defensive line. Star running back D’Andre Swift has been limited in practice with a strained groin and is listed as questionable for tonight’s game.
The Packers’ defense got gashed on the ground in Week 1 by the Saints in surprising fashion. They also couldn’t get any pressure on the quarterback and didn’t record a single sack. Expect a much more spirited effort out of the Green Bay defense against the Lions tonight.
Green Bay Offense vs. Detroit Defense
After an offseason filled with drama and speculation, Aaron Rodgers played terribly against the Saints in Week 1. The reigning MVP never looked comfortable in the pocket and only threw for 133 yards and two interceptions. Look for Rodgers to bounce back nicely against a subpar Lions defense tonight. His career record against Detroit is 17-5 (The TwinSpires Edge).
The Lions’ defense looked lost at times vs. the Niners in Week 1 as they gave up eight yards per play and 11.5 yards per pass. This unit received more bad news recently as cornerback Jeff Okudah tore his Achilles and will miss the rest of the season. Needless to say, this unit could be in for a long night against a frustrated Green Bay offense.
Our Pick: Green Bay -11.5
We like Aaron Rodgers to get back to his normal winning ways tonight in the Packers’ home opener. Though the Week 1 blowout loss was concerning, there’s no need to overreact to one bad performance against an above-average Saints team. The Lions showed a lot of grit by never giving up against San Fran but they are just overmatched talent-wise against Green Bay.
Look for Rodgers to hook up with his favorite target, Davante Adams, early and often against this depleted Lions secondary. Head coach Matt LaFleur will also try to get the running game going with Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. The Pack will win this one going away! Good luck!