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Bears vs. Lions: Odds, picks, stats and betting trends for Thanksgiving Day

Let's all grab a turkey leg and be thankful for a classic NFC North rivalry.

By Terrence Jordan

The Bears gave up a 12-point lead in the final three minutes in Detroit last year. Can they get revenge on the Lions on Thanksgiving?
The Bears gave up a 12-point lead in the final three minutes in Detroit last year. Can they get revenge on the Lions on Thanksgiving? / Mike Mulholland/GettyImages
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It's been a rough time for the Chicago Bears and their fans. After entering their bye week 4-2 and in the thick of the playoff race, everything has fallen apart, as the Bears have now lost five straight games.

The Bears lost to the Vikings on Sunday in yet another agonizing loss, this time erasing an 11-point deficit in the final minute just to lose in overtime. The team won't have much time to shake this one off, as a Thanksgiving game with the Detroit Lions at Ford Field awaits.

Although the Lions are 10-1 and look like the class of the NFC, this game comes not a moment too soon for Bears fans, who despite having to endure the pain of the last five weeks, still have a lot to be thankful for. Yes, this sentence is about Caleb Williams, who has looked fantastic in the two weeks since he traded Shane Waldron for Thomas Brown. Even if this season has turned sour, Caleb's presence means that Bears fans have a lot to look forward to.

Bears vs. Lions: What you need to know

Rosy-eyed dreams of the future won't save the Bears and head coach Matt Eberflus on Thursday, because the Lions have become a killing machine that is clicking on all cylinders. Detroit has more victories by 13 points or more (five) than the Bears have victories, period (four).

It all starts the the offense, which has been neck-and-neck with the Baltimore Ravens all year as the best in the NFL. The Lions are stacked on the offensive side of the ball, with a David Montgomery-Jahmyr Gibbs two-headed monster of a running game, the best offensive line in the league, and a passing attack that is nearly impossible to stop.

Jared Goff has become one of the most reliable quarterbacks in the game, trailing only Lamar Jackson in quarterback rating and only Tua Tagovailoa in completion percentage. His weapons, especially Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, will test the Bears secondary all afternoon. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has proven himself to be one of the most imaginative playcallers in the game, which is why he's at the top of many Bears fans' wishlists if and when the team moves on from Matt Eberflus.

Dan Campbell's defense was dealt a crushing blow when star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who led the league in sacks at the time, went down with a broken leg in Week 6 against the Cowboys. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has done an outstanding job in his absence though, as his defense has allowed 14 points or less in four of the past five games. The Lions haven't allowed a touchdown in over 10 quarters, which makes this one of the best tests yet for Caleb and the new-look Bears offense.

How to watch Bears vs. Lions live

  • Date: Thursday, November 28
  • Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
  • Site: Ford Field
  • City: Detroit, Michigan
  • TV/Streaming: CBS, NFL Sunday Ticket, Paramount+
  • Announcers: Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson

Latest game odds for Bears vs. Lions on Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving games always draw a lot of betting action. Here are the current odds according to FanDuel:

  • Moneyline: Bears +430, Lions -590
  • Spread: Bears +10.5 (-110), Lions -10.5 (-110)
  • Total: Over 48.5 (-110), Under 48.5 (-110)

Bears vs. Lions team stats and betting trends

  • The Bears and Lions split the season series last year, with each team holding serve at home. Detroit overcame a double-digit deficit in the final minutes to win their game.
  • Jared Goff is 5-4 against the Bears in his career and 3-3 since joining the Lions.
  • The Lions are 9-2 against the spread this year, while the Bears are 6-4-1.
  • The Bears are 0-4 on the road this year and 3-18 on the road under Matt Eberflus.
  • Bears games this year have hit the over four times and the under seven times. Lions games have gone over five times and under six times.
  • Caleb Williams set the Bears rookie passing yards and touchdown records, and he hasn't thrown an interception in his last five games.
  • The Bears have beaten the Lions three straight times on Thanksgiving and hold an 11-8 head-to-head lead overall on the holiday
  • The Lions last won on Thanksgiving in 2016. That streak of seven straight losses is eclipsed only by their nine-game losing streak on Turkey Day from 2004-12.
  • David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are the first pair of running back teammates to each have at least 10 touchdowns in back-to-back seasons.
  • Matt Eberflus is 5-18 in one-score games and 1-15 against teams with a winning record.

Player news and injuries

Both Keenan Allen and D'Andre Swift entered the Vikings game last week with questionable tags, but both were able to play. Safety Elijah Hicks has played well in relief of Jaquan Brisker, who is on IR, but he missed Sunday's game with an ankle injury. His replacement, Jonathan Owens, recorded a strip and a fumble recovery on Vikings running back Aaron Jones on the first drive of the game. Owens will get the start again if Hicks doesn't return on Thursday.

The Lions had a handful of players on their Monday injury report, including David Montgomery, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Taylor Decker and Kalif Raymond. Rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold missed the game against the Colts with a groin injury, but he was marked as a full participant at Monday's practice.

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