NFC North rivals will square off in Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season as the Chicago Bears take on the Detroit Lions. Both teams enter the 2020 season with plenty of question marks.
Both teams missed the playoffs in 2019, and are in a loaded division that will make it tough again in 2020. These teams know each other extremely well, and that should make for one of the best opening weekend games in the NFL. Our online sportsbook has the Bears with +400 odds to win the division, while the Lions are at +500.
The Detroit Lions are 3-point favorites over the Chicago Bears in our NFL odds.
Against-the-Spread Breakdown
Bears Outlook
Defense is the first thing to mention when looking at the Chicago Bears as they feature one of the best units in the league. Linebacker Khalil Mack can simply dominate and he has plenty of help. The addition of Robert Quinn from the Cowboys is going to make opposing quarterbacks very nervous indeed.
Offense is a huge question mark despite having an offensive guru in Matt Nagy as head coach. Mitchell Trubisky (+12000 odds to win NFL MVP) is the current starting quarterback but faces stiff competition from Nick Foles.
The Bears want to win this game with their defense, but their offense must show up at some point. It will be interesting to see which QB is under center in this game.
Lions Outlook
Quarterback Matthew Stafford (+4600 odds to win MVP) was injured for a majority of the 2019 season, and the Lions became a mess on the offensive side of the ball. Having a healthy Stafford will immediately improve this team, but the Lions still have flaws.
Detroit was a trainwreck on defense a season ago, and that’s putting it mildly. The Lions gave up the most passing yards in the NFL while racking up the second-fewest sacks.
The Lions were aggressive in the offseason trying to shore up their defense, but there are still plenty of holes. Detroit will be relying on Stafford and his big arm to try to outscore opponents all season long.
Bears-Lions Previous Matchups
The Chicago Bears lead the all-time series over the Detroit Lions 101-74-5. The teams have split periods of dominance over the last century, but it has been all Bears over the last two seasons.
Chicago has swept the season series in each of the last two years, including a 20-13 win in Detroit a season ago. The Lions did win 9-of-10 matchups from 2013-2017.
Bears vs Lions ATS Pick
Playing at home will give the Lions a slight edge, but that hasn’t helped in recent games against the Bears. Chicago has had the upper hand in this rivalry over the last few seasons, and it’s hard to see that changing.
Stafford always gives the Lions a chance but he can’t do it alone. Facing one of the best defenses in the NFL, the Lions will fail to score enough points to win.
The Bears still have some things to fix, but their defense leads them to a Week 1 win. Bet the Chicago Bears +3 over the Detroit Lions in this game.
Bears at Lions BetUS Free Pick: Bears +3
