The NFC North has been the most dominant division in the NFL this season. At one point, all teams were above .500, and now the Lions, Vikings, and Packers all have a legitimate chance to be the one seed in the NFC. This makes every single matchup between them a high-caliber, tension-filled affair. That will be the case on Thursday Night when the Packers travel to Detroit to take on the Lions for the second time this season. Detroit won their first bout, but the Packers tallied over 400 yards of offense in that game. Let’s see what happens this time for all of the marbles. 

If you like my picks, lock them in with the widgets below!

Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions (-3), O/U 51.5

The over is way higher than the average NFL game, and for good reason. Last season, the Packers’ offense really came on down the stretch, and Jordan Love was playing at an MVP level. Over the last few weeks, the Packers’ offense has increasingly gotten Josh Jacobs involved, creating an elite balanced attack between the passing and the rushing games. Now, they travel to play in a dome instead of outdoors in Green Bay.

Meanwhile, Detroit runs up the score on everybody. They’re on pace to be one of the best offenses in NFL history. Jared Goff needs to put some statistics on the board if he wants to keep pace in the MVP race, and their tandem of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery hasn’t been stopped by any team this season. On top of it all, the Detroit Lions have suffered an array of injuries on the defense, specifically to their D-line and linebacking core. Eight of the defensive starters from the beginning of the season are not suiting up for this game. So, when you roll together two elite offenses, perfect dome conditions, and an extremely injured defense, expect some points in the forecast.

Pick: Over 51.5 Total Points

The Defense Is Not What It Appears

If I had to pick a side in this game, it would be Green Bay. I took a little Green Bay +3.5 from earlier in the week, but it isn’t available anymore. If you’re coming to the window right now, I would look to a prop instead. As I mentioned before, the Lions’ defensive line and linebackers are beat up. They’ve boasted one of the best run defenses in the league up until this point, but that will be hard to sustain moving forward. Josh Jacobs has become an integral part of the Green Bay offense, and I think he shines in this one. You’re getting a little bit of a discount because of the Lions’ defensive reputation as well.

Pick: Josh Jacobs Over 71.5 Rushing Yards