Lions at Bengals: Preview, prediction, odds and pick

The Lions are looking to pounce on a small chance for a spot in the postseason, but they’ll need a win over the Bengals on Sunday to get things started.

The Detroit Lions are the equivalent of Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber as they head into their game on Sunday on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals, and it’s fitting as they’re playing on Christmas Eve. The main similarity between the Lions and Lloyd? They both have a slight chance.

The Lions may need a lot to go in their favor to even slide into the sixth seed in the NFC, but their hopes are slim at this point. They’ll need to win out to even give themselves a shot, and that won’t be the easiest task to start against the Bengals on Sunday. However, the Lions can’t accept anything less than a win, and you know they’ll come out firing in Week 16 with that in mind.

Meanwhile, the Bengals know they’re out of the postseason hunt in the AFC, but can still act as a spoiler for the Lions on Sunday if they play well enough at home. They have the power to take the Lions out of contention if they win, and you can bet the players and fans will think of this as an important game as they look to add a win to their belt to head into Christmas Day.

Odds: Lions -4, according to Odds Shark

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The Lions are the favorites in this one, as it should be, but the odds tell you this one will be a close game. The Bengals are a decent team when they want to be, and it’ll be interesting to see if they’ve just packed it in for the holidays or want to end 2017 with some high notes.

In the end, I still see the Lions taking home the win in this one and keeping their dreams of a postseason run alive.

Prediction: Lions 24, Bengals 17