Who can prevent a false start?

False start! There were several division duels in the NFL in week one. The NFC North, for example, remained completely among themselves at the start. The Detroit franchise lost in Green Bay, while Chicago came up short against Minnesota at the end of the first matchday. Now the two 0-1 teams are facing each other directly and will do everything they can to avoid a false start with two defeats.

But that’s not the only thing casting a shadow over the match, because the new Bears head coach is the former offensive coordinator of the hosts. It’s all the more surprising that Detroit is considered the clear favorite in the NFC North duel on the markets. The bookies are offering maximum odds of 1.40 for a Lions win over the Bears.

This favoritism is also surprising because the team from “Motor City” struggled to get going in their first game of the season in Wisconsin. At halftime, the Lions were already trailing 3-17 and ended up losing 13-27 to their division rivals. The offense under new coordinator John Morton did not perform as hoped. Nevertheless, in the Lions vs. Bears match, our prediction is that the offensive output will be significantly better. Betano offers interesting value for at least 25 points for the hosts.

The Chicago franchise experienced a completely different game. They led 10-6 at halftime, but ultimately lost 14-27. However, that hardly dampens the hype surrounding first-year head coach Ben Johnson’s team. In the offseason, almost every stone was turned both on and off the field.

Johnson managed to build an offense similar to the one he had most recently installed in Detroit. A lot of money was invested to strengthen the offensive line with experienced players. In addition, the franchise followed up in the draft and brought in new receivers, who are also expected to be used by quarterback Caleb Williams this season. The playmaker, who is in his second year of his NFL career, was already considered one of the best prospects in recent history before the draft and has already shown his potential.

Lions – Bears Head-to-head comparison / H2H record

It wasn’t just on offense that the visitors made changes. Dennis Allen was also brought in as the new defensive coordinator. He gained a wealth of experience in the same role with the Saints between 2015 and 2021 and is considered one of the best in the field. That’s why this unit is undoubtedly expected to improve this season compared to last season. Combined with an improved offense, which has been optimized with playmakers such as tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III, we predict a significantly better performance from the team in the regular season. However, this will require a clear improvement on their last game if the odds between the Lions and the Bears are to go in favor of the visitors.

Let’s take another look at the hosts, starting with the defense. This unit also has a new head coach, as the Lions lost defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn in addition to their offensive coordinator. The new coach, former Lions linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, was promoted internally and had previously worked under Glenn as linebacker coach for a long time. However, the newly formed unit failed to put pressure on the opposing quarterback against Green Bay and was unable to control the multitude of receivers at any point.

Offensively, questions remain after week one. On the ground, Detroit failed to move the ball consistently and ended up with 2.1 yards per carry. Through the air, however, they also found few answers against the Packers defense. The vertical element that actually characterizes this unit did not come into play at all. In addition, there was a lack of effectiveness in the red zone. None of the three offensive series that led to the last 20 yards before the opponent’s end zone resulted in a touchdown.

Lions – Bears Tip

Overall, the performances of both teams in week one were unconvincing. This makes it difficult to understand the assessment of the best bookmakers. As things stand, we see the two franchises as much closer to each other than the Lions vs. Bears betting odds suggest. In our opinion, a bet on the visitors is therefore too lucrative not to play.

However, we expect Chicago to face a shootout in their away game at Ford Field. The over/under is already set relatively high at 46.5 points. Nevertheless, in the 191st duel between the Lions and Bears, we venture to predict that the points limit will be broken. Incidentally, it would be Chicago’s 106th victory against their division rivals.