The Detroit Lions (6-7) and the New York Jets (7-6) will play each other at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Sunday for one of the more interesting NFL matchups of the week.
The Jets lost to the Buffalo Bills 20-12, dropping their second straight game, while the Lions have won five of their last six games after defeating the Minnesota Vikings 34-23.
This game could be one of the matchups NFL fans have their eye on in the NFL schedule as both clubs are vying for a postseason position in their respective conferences.
Who is the playoff contender, and who will be the playoff pretender in this one? Let’s take a closer look at the Lions vs Jets best betting picks.
Detroit Lions Season Forecast
The Detroit Lions started the NFL season with a 1-6 record but have rattled off five wins and one loss to push their record to 6-7 in the NFL standings, giving them a fighting chance at making the NFC playoffs.
The Lions were on the outside looking in until their most recent triumph, a 34-23 victory over the 10-3 Vikings on Sunday, which moved them into the postseason conversation.
Jared Goff had three touchdowns and 320 yards of offense in Week 14, leading the offense as Detroit defeated the Minnesota Vikings 34-23.
Lions’ NFL Team Stats
In terms of NFL team stats, the offense continues to do damage collecting 464 yards and 34 points, bringing their five-game scoring average up to 32.2 points.
Goff has now played in three games with seven touchdowns and no interceptions, earning him a nomination for player of the week for the second week in a row.
Lions’ Biggest Cause
The Detroit Lions’ biggest cause of concern is their defense, which allowed the Minnesota Vikings to score 23 points and gain 447 total yards last week.
Despite generating four sacks and forcing two fumbles in the victory, Detroit’s Lions rank last in total defense as they allow opponents to average over 400 yards per game.
Moneyline
Opening Line
The Detroit Lions opened as +140 underdogs vs the Jets heading into their matchup at Metlife Stadium.
How the Line Has Moved and Why
After the line opened at +140 odds, the Detroit Lions standings have quickly increased to +100 road underdogs thanks to their strong play as of late.
What Makes Lose the Bet
This bet loses if the Detroit Lions do not beat the New York Jets on Sunday.
Spread Line
Opening Line
The Detroit Lions opened as +3 road underdogs heading into their matchup with the Jets.
How the Line Has Moved and Why
Since the line opened, the Lions have shrunk to +1 point underdogs with injury news surrounding the Jets’ starting quarterback and defensive line.
What Makes Lose the Bet
This bet loses if the Detroit Lions fail to win or lose by one point.
Total
Opening Line
When it comes to the Lions vs Jets totals, the opening line for this game was listed at 50 points (-110).
How the Line Has Moved and Why
After the Lions vs Jets totals opened at 50 points, the points total has since shrunk to 48.5 points. The total moved down slightly because of injury concerns to Jets’ QB Mike White and impending cold weather.
What Makes Lose the Bet
This bet loses if the bet on the total goes Under or Over the listed point total.
Lions Betting Trend to Know
The Lions have an impressive 9-3-1 record this season against the spread. When playing as at least 1-point underdogs, the Lions are 7-2-1 ATS. Over their last six games, the Lions are a perfect 6-0 ATS.
When it comes to the Over/Under, the Lions have gone Over in nine of their 13 games thus far, including going Over in four of their last five contests.
Nine times this year, the total has been hit in Lions games. The Lions have been the underdog ten times this season, and they have won four of those contests.
When the Lions are assigned as an underdog of -110 or greater by bookmakers this season, they have a record of 4-6, a 40% win percentage.
New York Jets Season Forecast
Last Sunday, the Jets traveled to Buffalo and lost 20-12, extending their losing streak to two games. Making matters worse, the Jets are no longer in the AFC postseason picture after falling to third place in the AFC East standings.
Josh Allen and the explosive Bills offense were limited to just 232 yards by the Jets’ stellar defensive performance against Buffalo.
Despite their best efforts, the Jets have failed to force a turnover in their last two games after forcing 22 in their first 12 games of the season.
Quinnen William’s Status
This has lost them both of those games, and things could potentially be worse with Quinnen Williams’s status up in the air.
Since Mike White became the starting quarterback for New York, the offense has significantly improved. The Jets are scoring 21.7 points per game on average throughout his three starts.
Watch the NFL injury report closely because White was rushed to the hospital following the game with a rib injury.
Moneyline
Opening Line
The New York Jets opened this matchup with NFL odds of -165 on the moneyline.
How the Line Has Moved and Why
Since the line opened up at -165, their odds have decreased to -120 thanks to some injury concerns surrounding the Jets’ starting quarterback.
What Makes Lose the Bet
This bet loses if the Jets do not beat the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Spread Line
Opening Line
The spread opened at -3 for the New York Jets hosting the Detroit Lions.
How the Line Has Moved and Why
After the line opened at -3, it quickly moved to -1 thanks to the strong play from the Lions and injury news for the Jets.
What Makes Lose the Bet
This bet loses if the Jets fail to win by one point or more points.
Total
Opening Line
When it comes to the Lions vs Jets totals, the opening line for this game was listed at 50 points (-110).
How the Line Has Moved and Why
After the Lions vs Jets totals opened at 50 points, the points total has since shrunk to 48.5 points. The total moved down slightly because of injury concerns to Jets’ QB Mike White and impending cold weather.
What Makes Lose the Bet
As for the Lions vs Jets totals, this bet loses if the bet on total goes Under or Over the listed point total.
Jets Betting Trend to Know
When it comes to New York Jets picks, this season, the Jets have won eight times against the spread (8-5-0). When they are at least 1-point favorites, the Jets are undefeated 2-0 ATS.
Over their last six contests, the Jets have traded wins and losses ATS (3-3). Eight Jets games have exceeded the point total so far this season, with the Under hitting in six of their last eight contests.
Most Profitable Players of this Matchup to Bet On
Jared Goff
In terms of NFL player stats, Goff leads Detroit with 3,352 passing yards, compiling 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Goff has gone over his passing yard total in seven of the 13 games and has thrown multiple TD’s over the same span. Over his last three games, he has seven touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Mike White
White is averaging 317.3 yards per game over his first three starts and has gone over the yards prop in two of his three games. This week he faces a Lions defense that ranks 31st in total defense.
Jamaal Wiliams
Williams has been the battering ram for the Detroit Lions offense. Despite averaging 62 yards per game, Williams leads the league with 14 rushing touchdowns.
Additionally, Williams has found the endzone in four of his last five contests. He’s a good bet to find the endzone again with the Jets’ best defensive linemen potentially on the shelf.
NFL Pick: +3 (-110)
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