Philadelphia Eagles vs. Detroit Lions Betting Odds, Analysis, NFL Pick

Two teams heading in opposite directions will square off in the first Thanksgiving game of the day as the Detroit Lions (3-7) host the Philadelphia Eagles (4-6).

The Lions have won their last two games after topping the Oakland Raiders 18-13 at home last Sunday as one-point underdogs. Meanwhile, the Eagles have dropped two in a row after getting crushed 45-17 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home as 6.5-point favorites.

Point spread: The Eagles opened as 1.5-point favorites; the total was 47 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 25.8-24.2 Eagles

Why the Eagles can cover the spread

Philadelphia may be getting quarterback Sam Bradford back after he missed last week’s game due to a concussion and shoulder injury. Bradford was not playing great before the team lost to the Bucs, but he is a slight improvement over Mark Sanchez, who has thrown four interceptions as his replacement. Bradford has thrown only one pick in his last three starts combined since tossing three in a 27-7 win over the New York Giants.

The Eagles will also be glad to get out of town for the first time since defeating the Dallas Cowboys 33-27 in overtime on November 8. Both of their last two losses have taken place at Lincoln Financial Field, and they are 7-1 straight up in the past eight meetings with Detroit, going 6-2 against the spread in those games.

Why the Lions can cover the spread

The Lions finally seem to be playing up to their potential even though they are still not performing up to par offensively. They held the Raiders and Green Bay Packers to an average of 14.5 points in their last two wins but have not scored 20 points or more since edging the Chicago Bears 37-34 in overtime for their first victory of the season back on October 18. Fortunately, Philadelphia might be the perfect opponent to face here.

The Eagles just allowed rookie quarterback Jameis Winston to throw five touchdown passes against them, and Detroit’s Matthew Stafford is long overdue for a big game. Stafford’s best performance came against the Bears, and he should be very motivated to help his team get its third straight win at home in their annual Thanksgiving game.

Smart pick

The Lions defense has shut down two good offenses the last two weeks, and Philly comes into Ford Field sputtering. Eagles head coach Chip Kelly looks like he made a bad trade for Bradford, and his other option Sanchez has been even worse. Look for Stafford to shred the Philadelphia defense and get Detroit another victory on Thursday.

Betting trends

The Lions are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games after consecutive wins.

The Eagles are 8-3 SU and ATS in their last 11 games in November.

The total has gone under in seven of the Eagles' last 10 games.

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark, all quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.