NFL Odds Pick – Chicago, Detroit in Black and Blue Battle

The NFC’s "Black and Blue" division, the NFC North, has plenty of rivalries, and the NFL betting odds favorite Bears have one with the Lions.
That’s despite Chicago’s dominance in the series since Matt Millen became Lions GM at the turn of the century, but some bad feelings linger over Calvin Johnson’s overturned game-winning catch from week 1.

Can the football odds underdog Lions win one legitimately this time around?

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Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears

1 pm Sunday, Ford Field

Line: Bears favored at -5.

At first glance this line seems about right considering the Lions almost beat the Bears on the road in the first game.

But this one goes deeper than that. First of all, the Bears are on a roll, having defeated the Eagles last week in a game that showcased the top-notch defense of Chicago and the improving offense led by Jay Cutler and Mike Martz as the offensive coordinator.

The Lions have been playing poorly down the stretch and their constant issue of the injury bug has revealed itself in a big way. The NFL odds underdog Lions will have to start Drew Stanton, a career third-stringer who is athletic but makes poor decisions often and has never earned the trust of coaches.

Against an opportunistic Bears defense, turnovers are likely for Detroit.

The running game also has been a disaster all year thanks to the continued struggles of Millen era holdovers Jeff Backus and Dominic Raiola on the offensive line.

The Bears’ Matt Forte always seems to have career games and/or make big plays against Detroit and this week should be no different.

With Chicago winning the turnover battle and the running game matchup, Detroit won’t have enough options to be able to come out on top in this one unless they get a few lucky turnovers themselves against Chicago this week.

It’s looking like another top five pick in the draft for the Detroit Lions yet again as they continue to be stuck on two wins.

NFL Odds Pick: Chicago Bears (-5).