NFL
Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction, 22 Dec 2024
The Detroit Lions, the NFC North’s number-one seed, travel to Chicago, Illinois, for this Week 16 divisional clash on Sunday, December 22nd. The Chicago Bears are already out of playoff contention and will finish fourth in the NFC North regardless of results. The Lions are looking to secure first place in their division and the all-important number-one seed ahead of the playoffs in the new year.
SportsBoom has you covered for this match as the Lions are looking to solidify the number one seed in the NFC. Use our recommended NFL betting sites to maximize your bets for this exciting encounter.
Jared Goff//Getty Images
Match Details: Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions
Date: Sunday 22nd December
Start time: 1 pm local time (6 pm BST)
Venue: Solider Field, Chicago, Illinois, Chicago
Last meeting: November 28, 2024, Detroit Lions 23-20 Chicago Bears
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability: Detroit Lions Heavy Favourites
Chicago Bears: 12/5 (3.40) – 29.4%
Detroit Lions: 9/25 (1.36) – 73.5%
Odds courtesy of Stake, subject to change
Head-to-Head Record
The Lions and the Bears have played 189 times in NFL history in both the regular season and postseason. This intense rivalry has seen the Bears win 105 times, whereas Detroit has achieved a marginally smaller number of wins at 79. Five draws have occurred throughout the years.
Despite Chicago having a superior record overall, the Lions have won four of the last five meetings, primarily due to the work of head coach Daniel Campbell since taking over the team in 2021. Three wins arrived in close one-possession affairs, but the Lions clung on to win on their most recent fixture on Thanksgiving a month prior.
Last Five Matches
| Season | Date | Result |
| 2024 Season | November 28, 2024 | Detroit Lions 23-20 Chicago Bears |
| 2023 Season | December 10, 2023 | Chicago Bears 28-13 Detroit Lions |
| 2023 Season | November 19, 2023 | Detroit Lions 31-26 Chicago Bears |
| 2022 Season | January 1, 2023 | Detroit Lions 41-10 Chicago Bears |
| 2022 Season | November 13, 2022 | Detroit Lions 31-30 Chicago Bears |
How is the season so far for both teams?
NFC North Table
| Team | Record | Streak |
| Detroit Lions | 12-2 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 11-2 | W6 |
| Green Bay Packers | 10-4 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 4-9 | L7 |
Chicago Bears
- Record: 4-10
- Home Form: 4-3
- Road Form: 0-7
The Chicago Bears’ record will see the team end the regular season as the bottom fourth seed in their division for a third consecutive year after posting 3-14 and 7-10 records in 2022 and 2023. In some matches, the Bears look competitive but lose in close one-possession games, but the Bears did seal a win over the current NFC West leaders, the Los Angeles Rams.
There was a lot of anticipation when Caleb Williams was drafted first overall to the Chicago Bears this year, but it seems the team hasn’t been as competitive as they had hoped. He has played in every game thus far but sits joint 17th in most touchdowns and 20th in most yards thrown so far. Despite occupying the middle places in the entire league, he will gain confidence from his last performance against the Lions, where he posted three touchdowns, despite the troubling recent form.
The Bears lack defensive weapons and conceded 38 points to the San Francisco 49ers at the start of the month, but their linebacker TJ Edwards has been their best player across the 2024 season. In his second year at Chicago, after a four-year stint with the Philadelphia Eagles, he made over 100 tackles and recorded two sacks and one forced fumble.
Detroit Lions
- Record: 12-2
- Home Form: 6-2
- Road Form: 6-0
The Detroit Lions arrive in Chicago for their seventh away fixture of the 2024 season and are the only team in the National Football League yet to lose on the road. In contrast, their opponents are the only team not to win away from home this season. The Lions are looking strong, having only lost twice throughout the season.
After leading his team to the NFC Championship Game last season and missing out on a Super Bowl place by the narrowest of margins, Jared Goff has bounced back in 2024 and has established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. The 30-year-old is second in most passing yards, throwing his highest completion percentage in his whole career and has thrown 30 touchdowns.
At the forefront of Goff’s multiple offensive options is their primary wide receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown. In his last game against the Buffalo Bills, he delivered the goods to eclipse the 1,000+ receiving yards for a third consecutive season. He is in the league’s top four in passing yards, receptions and touchdowns compared to other wide receivers.
Value Bets
Jared Goff: Over 2 Touchdowns: Since Week 3, Jared Goff has completed two or more touchdowns across ten matches in the twelve following weeks. In his previous two matchups against the Green Bay Packers and the Buffalo Bills, Goff has recorded eight touchdowns and thrown 777 yards. These phenomenal statistics point to one trend – the likelihood of this form continuing against the team’s divisional rivals.
Amon-Ra St. Brown//Getty Images
Amon-Ra St. Brown: Over 70+ Receiving Yards and 1 Touchdown: As mentioned previously, Amon-Ra St. Brown has repeatedly delivered offensively for Detroit. The 25-year-old has consistently averaged over 1,000 receiving yards but is on the brink of recording his best season of touchdowns. In 2023, he posted ten across the regular season, and while there are still three games to go, plus post-season, there is confidence that he will eclipse his personal best.
Prediction: Detroit Lions to Win
Despite recording their first loss after winning ten consecutive games on the spin, SportsBoom predicts the Detroit Lions to bounce back and win. Though this piece focused on Goff and St. Brown, the Lions are a colossal threat offensively present. Jameson Williams, Sam Laporta, and Jahmyr Gibbs are other good options within the team which could be utilized in this game.
Henry Cheal is a versatile freelance sports journalist with extensive experience in the industry. Henry has previously worked at the 2024 World Snooker Championship and earned a Multimedia Sports Journalism degree from UCFB in 2023.