Week 13 of the NFL season is filled with some interesting games, and one of those matchups will be taking place down in New Orleans. It’s going to be the New Orleans Saints hosting the Detroit Lions for a big game in the NFC Playoff race.
Detroit is coming into this game with a record of 8-3, and they are currently sitting atop the standings in the NFC North Division. The Lions are going to be looking to bounce back after suffering a bad loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving Day.
The New Orleans Saints are coming into this game with a record of 5-6, but that’s actually good enough to have them in the race in the AFC South Division. New Orleans has dropped two straight games and they are going to need to bounce back in a hurry.
The Lions are coming into this game as a 4.5-point betting favorite over the Saints on Sunday afternoon.
Lions Looking to Score
The Detroit Lions are coming into this game averaging 26.7 points per contest, and they are not afraid to take some chances. Detroit is also allowing 23.5 points per game, and the lack of defense puts a ton of pressure on the offense.
Quarterback Jared Goff has thrown for 3,075 yards and 18 touchdowns this season, but he has also struggled to take care of the ball. Goff was a turnover machine on Thanksgiving and he needs to get the ball to wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Detroit is going to have to be strong on the line of scrimmage in this game, but they also have a defense that can pressure the quarterback and create some mistakes.
Saints Want to Play Slow
The New Orleans are scoring just 20.8 points per game this season, but they are also allowing just 20.2 points per game. New Orleans is not a team that likes to play fast on offense, and that does allow them to stay in most games.
Running back Alvin Kamara has racked up just 3.8 yards per carry this season, and that has put too much pressure on Derek Carr. New Orleans just settles with too many field goals in the red zone, and that has to change moving forward.
Getting pressure on Jared Goff will be a key for the defense, but the Saints have just 18 sacks this season. Look for the Saints to dial up some blitzes in this game so that they can try to create some turnovers.
Detroit Dominates in Week 13
The New Orleans Saints have a defense that can keep them in this game, but they also need to find a way to score some points. There will be some opportunities against the Lions to find some offense, but it won’t be easy to keep pace with Detroit.
Jared Goff and the Lions just kept turning the ball over on Thanksgiving and that made it nearly impossible for them to have any success. This team has been able to respond in a big way all season long, and that’s what you should expect on Sunday afternoon.
Bet on the Detroit Lions to win and cover the 4.5-point spread on the road in this game.
