Lions vs. Eagles: Spread Info, Line and Predictions

Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles will take on the struggling Detroit Lions in NFC action on Sunday.

The Eagles will attempt to right the ship after a 16-14 last-second loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road. The Lions, on the other hand are seeking a win that could turn around their season after a tumultuous 1-3 start.

Here's all the information you need to know about this pivotal game for both teams.

Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA

When: Sunday, October 14, 1:00 p.m. ET

Watch: FOX (check local listings)

Live Stream: NFL Sunday Ticket

Over/Under: Total 47.5, according to Bovada.lv

With two dynamic offenses on the field, it's easy to see why the over/under is somewhat high compared to most NFL action this week.

Quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Michael Vick both have reputations as players capable of leading their offenses to big days. However, this line may be just a little too high.

The Eagles have yet to play in a game where the total score was higher than 47.5 and have been involved in some relatively low-scoring affairs this year. The offense is good in terms of yardage but turnovers have meant that it doesn't always lead to points.

With Stafford and Vick dueling it out the over is tempting, but the under is the safer bet here. Only two games have gone over this line for either team this year.

Spread: Philadelphia Eagles -4, according to Bovada.lv

This is another line that looks like an easy bet, but upon closer inspection could trip bettors up.

The Eagles are a division leader with a 3-2 record playing at home against a team that is 1-3 riding a losing streak. By those simplistic parameters, the Eagles should be favored by more than four points in this one.

However, a closer look at the Eagles' season and this line becomes tricky. Philadelphia's three wins have come by a combined four points so every one of their wins has been extremely close. However, the Lions already have two losses by more than four points so both outcomes are represented on these team's resumes.

Ultimately, the Eagles have played quality teams at home to this point and should be able to cover this spread in Philadelphia, but it will make fans a little nervous.

Key Injuries: Via CBSSports.com

Detroit Lions

Pos	Player	Injury		Fantasy News
DE	Cliff Avril	Back		Full practice. Probable for Week 6 at Philadelphia
DT	Sammie Hill	Toe		Limited practice. Questionable for Week 6 at Philadelphia
LB	Travis Lewis	Quadriceps		Full practice. Probable for Week 6 at Philadelphia
TE	Brandon Pettigrew	Knee		Limited practice. Probable for Week 6 at Philadelphia
S	Amari Spievey	Groin		Limited practice. Questionable for Week 6 at Philadelphia
DT	Corey Williams	Knee		Did not practice. Questionable for Week 6 at Philadelphia
WR	Titus Young	Knee		Limited practice. Probable for Week 6 at Philadelphia

Philadelphia Eagles

Pos	Player	Injury		Fantasy News
S	Colt Anderson	Knee		Full practice. Probable for Week 6 vs. Detroit
WR	Jason Avant	Wrist		Full practice. Probable for Week 6 vs. Detroit
RB	Bryce Brown	Shoulder		Full practice. Probable for Week 6 vs. Detroit
WR	Riley Cooper	Collarbone		Full practice. Probable for Week 6 vs. Detroit
RB	Stanley Havili	Quadriceps		Full practice. Probable for Week 6 vs. Detroit
LB	Akeem Jordan	Hamstring		Full practice. Probable for Week 6 vs. Detroit
LB	Mychal Kendricks	Ankle		Full practice. Probable for Week 6 vs. Detroit
DT	Derek Landri	Knee		Full practice. Probable for Week 6 vs. Detroit
DE	Darryl Tapp	Foot		Full practice. Probable for Week 6 vs. Detroit

Fantasy Big Plays

Matthew Stafford

The Lions may have a hard time winning this game because they are on the road, but Stafford should be in line for big individual numbers.

After a rocky start to the season in which he threw four interceptions in the first two games, Stafford has been heating up lately 18 and 19-point performances before getting a bye week to prepare for this game.

Expect Stafford to continue his ascent back to his fantasy status from last year when he was a must-start every week.

Mikel Leshoure

Straying from the obvious starts like Calvin Johnson and LeSean McCoy, Mikel Leshoure should have a great game for fantasy owners on Sunday.

Leshoure was brilliant in his season debut against the Tennessee Titans but followed that performance up with an abysmal three point performance against the Vikings the following week.

With an additional week off to get healthy and a much more running back friendly matchup this week, Leshoure should be closer to the production we saw him put up in the Tennessee game.

DeSean Jackson

Jackson owners have had to put up with inconsistency all year as Jackson has truly been a boom-or-bust option from week-to-week.

While that may never change due to Jackson's reliance on big plays to earn fantasy points, he should be in for a big week against the Lions.

Jackson succeeds when he's able to break the big play. The Lions have shown a penchant for giving up big plays and Jackson should find a way to break loose at least a few times against this secondary.

Keys to a Lions Win

Simply put, the Lions have to be more balanced on offense. Last season a pass-first and pass-often approach got them to the playoffs but teams have caught on this season.

The Lions rank second in the league in passing yardage with well over 300 yards per game, but the rushing attack has been nearly non-existent. If Detroit wants to beat the Eagles they'll need to establish Mikel Leshoure early to make life a little easier for the defense.

On defense, the Lions will need to find a way to force turnovers. The Eagles' offense is explosive but leads the league in turnovers with 14 through five games.

Keys to an Eagles Win

The Eagles must find a way to take care of the ball. Leading the league in turnovers is almost always a recipe for a horrible record. The fact that the Eagles are 3-2 is a testament to the vast potential of this team.

However, all of those turnovers will catch up eventually if they don't start to learn to take care of the ball. For Michael Vick this means making wise decisions both with his passes and what he does when running with the ball. If Vick can be efficient with the ball, the Eagles should roll in this one.

Prediction

This one is really the Eagles' game to lose.

If you want to be a Super Bowl contender, you have to be able to beat teams with losing records at home and that's exactly what Philadelphia will be trying to do. The Lions' offense is still lethal, but the Eagles have played well on defense all year.

Turnovers will be the story here as the team that takes care of the ball will most likely win. Even though both teams have explosive passing games, the running game will decide the outcome. That's great news for LeSean McCoy and the Eagles.

Philadelphia, 24-17