Bears vs. Lions: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More

The first of three Thanksgiving NFL showdowns Thursday pits NFC North rivals against one another as the Detroit Lions play host to the Chicago Bears. 

Neither team has looked impressive as of late, although the home team comes in as a lofty favorite for good reason.

The Lions have lost two in a row but remain in the divisional hunt at 7-4. Quietly, the talk in the Windy City could move away from whispers about firing the coaching staff to playoff prospects if the Bears can get to .500 by stealing one on the road.

A strong turnaround story will be written by one NFL team this holiday, so be sure to catch the early festivities. 

Going for the Rebound

Matthew Stafford and the Lions have uncharacteristically struggled as of late. Week 11 was a loss to Arizona in which he tossed an interception and the team scored six points. Just last week was much of the same, but a normally elite defense caved in on itself as well in a 34-9 loss to New England.

Believe it or not, the Lions are quite similar to the Bears this season in that the offenses have been massive disappointments, while it is the defenses that carry the teams to wins.

The Lions have broken the 30-point barrier just once this season while Stafford has seen weapons such as Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush battle injuries. He has 13 touchdowns to 10 interceptions on the year.

Chicago has yet to even reach 30 points this year as Jay Cutler has had a wealth of issues, those best explained by ESPN Stats & Info:

It should go without saying, then, that this one comes down to which defense can show better on short notice against a familiar opponent. 

Detroit figures to have an advantage in this regard, especially because of that top-ranked run defense. Chicago's Matt Forte has given the Lions issues in the past, but he has just three 100-yard outings this season on the ground and has scored just five times.

On the flip side, Chicago rookie corner Kyle Fuller and the defense better have a strong answer for a wealth of weapons. While true it has held its past two opponents to 13 points apiece, the two games before that were allowances of more than 50 points each.

Setting the Stage

Steven Senne/Associated Press

Thursday is a launch pad for both franchises. 

For Chicago, a drop to 5-7 all but ends the season. The division pulls away, and the outlook the rest of the way—the schedule reads home stands against Dallas, New Orleans and Detroit before a trip to Minnesota—is quite bleak.

As Ira Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune points out, coach Marc Trestman likely almost lost his job last week when the team fell behind to the two-win Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

It is just as simple for the Lions.

While Stafford and Co. trail the Green Bay Packers in the division, they already have a win over their fierce rivals. Back in Week 3, the defense limited Aaron Rodgers to just one passing touchdown and the team as a whole just 76 rushing yards.

Detroit has quite the easy schedule in the coming weeks, although that trip to Lambeau Field to close the season looms large. A win over Chicago at home is a must to prevent a two-game skid from completely derailing the season.

When: Thursday, November 27, 12:30 p.m. ET

Where: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Watch: CBS

Betting Info: (via Odds Shark)

• Over/Under: 47
• Spread: Detroit (-7)

Team Injury Reports

Injury info will be updated once released, via ESPN.com.

Prediction

Stephan Savoia/Associated Press

No divisional encounter between any set of teams is cut and dry, but it is hard to see how the Lions blow this one at home. 

As the numbers above show, the Bears struggle to stop much of anything through the air, which is miserable news on a short week against Megatron, Golden Tate and others. Detroit has not exactly been what most expected offensively this season, but the right pieces are getting healthy at the right time for a favorable matchup.

A few mistakes by Cutler and an inability to stop an aerial assault on friendly turf will doom the Bears in front of a national audience. The front office will then have an unusually long break to dole out the consequences.

Prediction: Lions 28, Bears 20

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).