The Lions got the message after a front office and coaching staff shakeup a few weeks back, putting together consecutive wins behind a strong defensive performance. Given the Lions have little chance of making the postseason, they are playing their way out of a potential top-five draft pick with the struggling Eagles coming to town.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Detroit Lions 0
Philadelphia Eagles 0
Over/Under 47
ODDS ANALYSIS
Detroit has shown a little spark over the past few weeks going 2-0 SU and ATS since its bye. Still not enough to sway bettors as the line was wagered to Philadelphia -1.5 soon after opening. Total bettors have pocketed some coin wagering the under in Eagles games. Philly has played below the closing total seven times in its 10 games. The total fell a point to 46.
KEY INJURIES
Zach Ertz – Left with a concussion in the second quarter and didn’t return after he landed on the back of his head and neck while trying to leap a defender. It’s unlikely Ertz will make it through the concussion protocol in time for Thursday’s game.
Matthew Stafford – Had the toenail on his right big toe removed after Sunday’s win over Oakland. It’s a minor issue that won’t keep him from playing on Thursday. The Lions escaped the game without any major injury concerns.
KEY MISMATCH
For the second straight week Lions’ cornerback Darius Slay was lights-out with another impressive outing Sunday against the Raiders. After holding Green Bay’s James Jones without a reception in a win at Green Bay two weeks ago, Slay allowed just one reception in coverage against Oakland’s young guns in the passing game. He held the receivers he was facing to one completion – a comeback route to Michael Crabtree – and shut down Amari Cooper. He helped limit Derek Carr to 169 passing yards and the Raiders gained just 214 total yards. Slay has been a stalwart on a cornerback unit depleted by injuries, including a season-ender to Rashean Mathis. He again limited the field and is turning into one of the best young corners in the NFL. The Eagles are struggling offensively and Mark Sanchez, starting place of the injured Sam Bradford, tossed three picks in a loss to Tampa Bay.
KEY STAT
18.5 – Detroit’s points per game average. The Lions rank 29th in scoring offense and have surpassed the 20-point mark just twice this season. Philadelphia surrenders 22.9 points per game and allowed a season-high 45 to Tampa Bay on Sunday.
BETTING ANGLE
The Eagles are 4-6 after back-to-back home losses to Miami and Tampa Bay. Sunday’s loss cost Philly a chance to tie for the lead in the woeful NFC East. Instead, the Eagles will take a two-game losing streak into a short week of preparation. After an overtime win in Dallas two weeks ago, the optimistic view was that they had the chance to win their next three games against mediocre teams. Instead the Eagles lost the first two of those games and have looked less impressive in each one. The game also likely means an end to speculation that Mark Sanchez can take the starting quarterback job away from Sam Bradford. Sanchez wasn’t terrible against the Bucs, but he did throw three picks, the last of which was returned for a touchdown.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
The Eagles are going the wrong way. In a lousy division that’s still up for grabs, Philly was supposed to use a run of games against meddling teams to take control of the NFC East. Instead, they just might find themselves out of the race completely. Philadelphia looked uninspired and was routed by Tampa Bay, 45-17, on Sunday. The defense was supposed to be a bit stiffer with linebackers DeMeco Ryans and Kiko Alonso back in the lineup. But it wasn’t to be. The Bucs shredded them. The offense sputtered behind Sanchez and the result was an embarrassing loss. Detroit is on a little run with two straight wins, but the offense is still a mess. The Lions have gone four straight without scoring more than 19 points but won the last two by putting up 18 in each. That means the D is doing its job. It’ll be tougher for the Lions to stop the Eagles and a lack of points doesn’t allow Detroit to win this NFL game.
Philadelphia 24, Detroit 20
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