Packers-Lions Betting Preview – Week 14 2010

Barry Daniels of Don Best Sports brings us this Packers-Lions betting preview for Week 14 of the 2010 NFL regular season, exclusively to Gambling911.com readers. 

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The Green Bay Packers attempt to capture a franchise-record 11th straight victory over the Detroit Lions when the two NFC North squads clash Sunday at Ford Field.

Most sports books monitored by Don Best Sports have installed the Packers as seven-point road favorites, with the ‘total’ set at 46 points.

The Packers nipped the Lions, 26-24, on Oct.3 in the first meeting between the clubs this season. Green Bay didn’t come close to covering the spread as a 14 ½-point home favorite, while the combined 50 points skipped ‘over’ the 46-point closing total.

The ‘over’ is now 5-2 in the last seven series meetings, with the Packers going 7-2 ATS in the last nine matchups.

Green Bay is also 19-7-1 in its last 27 games against teams with a losing record and 23-11-2 in its last 35 road dates. However, Detroit is 7-1 ATS in its last eight encounters against teams with a winning record and 5-1 ATS in its first six home games this season.

Other trends compiled by Don Best Sports show that the ‘under’ has cashed in Green Bay’s last six road encounters, but the ‘over’ is 8-0 in Detroit’s last eight home contests. The ‘over’ is also 7-3 in the last 10 series meetings between the Packers and Lions in Detroit.

Beating the Lions, losers of an NFL-record 19 straight within the division, hasn't been much of a problem for Green Bay lately.

The Packers have won 10 straight over the Lions since a 17-3 loss in Detroit on Sept. 11, 2005, and 18 of the last 20 meetings.

Aaron Rodgers has appeared in five games against Detroit, completing 70.4 percent of his passes for 1,523 yards with 14 touchdowns to three interceptions. He has a quarterback rating of 121.0 in those games, with the Packers averaging 33.4 points during that span.

Green Bay held a 28-14 lead over the Lions during the third quarter of that Oct.3 meeting, but had a tough time putting them away. Detroit finished the scoring with four Jason Hanson field goals. Unfortunately for Detroit bettors, Hanson suffered a season-ending knee injury a couple of weeks ago.

The Packers have been playing much better since that game, winning five of six and outscoring the opposition by an average of 19.4 points in the five victories. Their lone loss occurred by three points at NFC South-leading Atlanta.

Rodgers is coming off another stellar performance, completing 21-of-30 passes for 298 yards with three touchdowns and no picks during last week’s 34-16 victory against the 49ers. He hasn't thrown an interception in the last five games, and is averaging 308.0 yards with 11 touchdowns and a 131.3 QB rating in his last four.

Rodgers will be facing a Detroit defense that hasn't intercepted a pass in five games and has yielded eight throwing touchdowns in the last three.

The Don Best Sports injury report indicates that Green Bay's defense will be without standout defensive end Cullen Jenkins after he strained his calf against the 49ers. Jenkins, who had three sacks in his last two games, becomes yet another starter sidelined by injury for a Packers squad that has 13 players on injured reserve.

Detroit has also been hit hard by injuries, as third-string quarterback Drew Stanton is set to start a second straight game and for just the third time since his 2007 rookie season.

Stanton played relatively well Sunday against Chicago, completing 16-of-24 for 178 yards with a TD and running score that gave Detroit its first of four leads. The Lions were ahead 17-14 at halftime but gained just 49 yards in the second half and went on to lose 24-20.

However, the Lions covered as five-point home underdogs to lift their spread record to 8-4 overall and 5-1 at home.

Detroit has now lost six games this season by five points or less.

Stanton and the offense could again have some trouble moving the ball against a Green Bay defense that has allowed an NFL-best 180.5 passing yards in four games since Week 9. The Packers also lead in the league in scoring defense at 15.2 points.

Although Green Bay's pass defense is playing well, Detroit star receiver Calvin Johnson, the NFC leader with 12 touchdown receptions, has had several big games in the series.

Johnson caught two TD passes in the first meeting, and has 23 receptions for 327 yards with seven touchdowns in his last four games against the Packers.