It’s a holiday feast of short week football. Here’s how the WCG staff sees Bears-Lions playing out.
There’s short weeks, and then there’s the 84.5 hour turnaround the Bears have while playing the Lions on Thanksgiving after a Sunday night bout with the Vikings. That short week is the main reason the Bears will be without Mitchell Trubisky, as if this NFC North game was played on Sunday, it’s likely the 24-year-old would have featured: bruised shoulder and all.
Nevertheless, the Bears are still the better team on paper, and the Lions themselves are also dealing with their own surplus of injuries in the same manner.
Here’s the Windy City Gridiron staff game picks for Bears-Lions on Thanksgiving.
Robert Zeglinski: Bears 27 Lions 23
On a short week, the Bears have to battle attrition against a Lions team that will play better at home on the holiday. Fortunately for Chicago: defense travels well.
Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.: Bears 29 Lions 16
The Bears haven’t won in Detroit since 2012, but this Bears defense is playing too well right now to let Matthew Stafford beat them.
Aaron Leming: Bears 30 Lions 20
Full disclosure: this is a game I’ve had the Bears losing all year. But the Bears are rolling and are still one of the NFL’s healthier teams. This game may be closer than what the final score shows.
Jacob Infante: Bears 26 Lions 17
I’m fearing the possibility of a trap game here. But with the way the Bears have been playing in recent weeks, it’s tough to see them faltering in this matchup.
Sam Householder: Bears 24, Lions 21
Expect a tight, sloppy game. The Jekyll and Hyde Lions haven’t won two in a row this season. The Bears make enough plays to be eating turkey legs Thursday afternoon.
Josh Sunderbruch: Bears 19 Lions 17
The Bears get in an early scoring drive and then ride a tired defense to victory, while the Lions have their chances but can’t quite deliver.
Andrew Link: Bears 24 Lions 20
I have no feel for this game at all. My heart tells me the Bears blow the Lions out again but my gut tells me this is a slop-fest on both sides. I’ll split the difference and say it’s close but not too close.
Jack Silverstein: Bears 37 Lions 27
I’m riding with The Prophecy and a 9-3 Bears team facing the Rams soon. I think they want to continue stacking division wins. Thursday will make it three in a row.
Steven Schweickert: Bears 27 Lions 21
This is the game of Mario Kart 8 where the game is fed up with you and you’re getting the fighting-the-whole-pack blue shell apocalypse. Fortunately, the Bears have a Soundbox to stop those shells - namely, the pass rush and a secondary playing as strong as any.
Patti Curl: Bears 30 Lions 15
Damon Harrison can do all the run-stuffing he wants, it won’t stop Chase Daniel from honoring Biscuit by serving up the gravy on the cold vegetable side-dish the Lions call a secondary. Despite its newfound lack of golden taters, Akiem Hicks and Khalil Mack will have no trouble mashing up the Lions offense.
ECD: Bears 30 Lions 18
It sucks for the Bears that they have such a short week against divisional opponents. With that said, the Lions’ loss of Kerryon Johnson makes things tougher for a team that got spanked over a week ago in Chicago.
WhiskeyRanger: Bears 32 Lions 16
Thursday games should go the way of the dinosaurs, by which I mean they should die screaming in a fiery asteroid apocalypse. Defensive teams usually have the advantage on short turnarounds, so I’m calling a sweep of the Lions.
Ken Mitchell: Bears 34 Lions 20
The Lions at home on Thanksgiving have a huge home field advantage. Chicago is the better team, but look for Detroit to come out firing, because this is a must-win game if they hope to have any shot at the playoffs. Win out in the division and they could get in.
WCG Contributors: Jeff Berckes; Patti Curl; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Andrew Link; Ken Mitchell; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; Whiskey Ranger; Robert Zeglinski; Like us on Facebook.
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