The last game of the NFL 2022-23 regular season will be played at Lambeau Field on Sunday night (8:20 pm ET, NBC) between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. The 14th and final playoff place will be allocated after this game, but not necessarily to either of these teams. The third team at the party are the Seattle Seahawks. If they beat the Rams earlier on Sunday and the Lions beat the Packers, the Seahawks get the place. If Seattle beats the Rams and the Packers win at home, Green Bay progresses. And if the Rams beat Seattle, this game becomes a straight shootout for the final NFC playoff place.
Let’s check out our expert’s picks, predictions and best bets for this important Lions vs Packers matchup.
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NFL Detroit Lions vs Green Bay Packers expert predictions
The Packers were on the brink of packing up and going home two-thirds of the way through this season, but they have rescued themselves from the brink of elimination with 4 straight wins. Those successes against the Bears, Rams, Dolphins and Vikings have lifted them to an 8-8 record and the good news is they are playing better than they have at any point in the campaign.
The Lions became the media’s darlings as they shook off a 1-6 start to reach 7-7, but a bad loss to the Panthers 2 weeks ago raised questions about how much the men from the Motor City have left in the tank. Going to a chilly Lambeau Field needing to win is not the easiest mission but the NFL has chosen this as the season finale hoping for drama and it could deliver just that.
Detroit Lions vs Green Bay Packers spread, odds & betting lines
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Point spread: Lions +5, Packers -5
Total points over/under: 49 points
Money line odds: Lions +190, Packers -225
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Detroit Lions vs Green Bay Packers expert picks
We have two great NFL picks for the game between the Lions and Packers.
Lions vs Packers point spread pick: Packers -4.5 (-115)
No one would have thought that the Packers would be in this spot 5 weeks ago. They had just given up 40 points to the Eagles in a loss and were 4-8 on the year. But in the last 4 weeks, Aaron Rodgers and the offense have scored 30 points a game and the Green Bay defense has allowed only 17 per game. The Packers are now hosting the Lions in a “win-and-get-in” scenario on Sunday Night Football. In the first matchup, which the Lions won 15-9, Rodgers was picked off 3 times for just the 5th time in his career. That shouldn’t happen again this week. The Packers defense played great in that first meeting and has been on fire during this 4-game win streak, snagging 8 turnovers in the last 2 games and 12 total over their last 4. Jared Goff will be playing in an uncomfortable environment, outside in cold weather. Since entering the league, Goff has played only 2 games in weather under 30 degrees. In those games, he has a combined 34.5 passer rating, 47.2% completion rate, zero touchdowns, 5 interceptions and an average of 190.5 passing yards.
Still, this game should not be a cakewalk for Green Bay. The Lions don’t quit. Dan Campbell will have his team ready to play even if they are eliminated for the playoffs before they kick off. I expect the Green Bay defense to continue to play well with the playoffs on the line. Plus, Aaron Rodgers has the highest quarterback rating in NFL history in primetime games at 106.8 and had won 13 consecutive primetime games until losing at Buffalo this season. Rodgers won’t have to be fantastic to win and cover this game. His defense should take care of most of the heavy lifting. If the Packers lose this game at home, it won’t be forgotten for a long time in Green Bay.
Be sure to check out our full Lions vs Packers predictions
Lions vs Packers over/under totals pick: Under 49.5 (-115)
The Lions have one of the most potent offenses in the league this year. They also have one of the worst defenses. So it’s not totally surprising that this total is near 50. Whether this game goes over or not will come down to how much Green Bay’s defense will continue to play at an elite level, as they have over the last 4 weeks, when they’ve allowed only 17 points per game. And they haven’t just been taking advantage of weak offenses. This includes 2 games over potent offenses such as Miami and Minnesota and a win over Justin Fields and the Bears.
While they aren’t predictive, the Packers defense has nabbed 12 takeaways over the last 4 games and Jared Goff has been awful in cold weather, outdoor games in his career. The Packers’ run defense is allowing just 102 yards per game on the ground over the last 4 games and making the Lions one-dimensional will lead to Goff mistakes. It doesn’t benefit Green Bay to get into a shootout with the Lions. I trust their defense won’t let that happen.
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Detroit Lions vs Green Bay Packers expert predictions
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