by Chuck Sommers
Saturday, Dec 17, 2022
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Venue: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Where to watch: CBS
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Jets -1.5
FanDuel: Jets -1
BetMGM: Jets -1
Caesars: Jets -1
Season record
Lions: 6-7
Jets: 7-6
We’re coming down the home stretch of the NFL season and there’s still a lot left to get excited for on your TV screen (or your streaming device if you’re like me and watch Sunday Ticket on a Fire Stick. That works, too). Nevertheless, the final few weeks of the regular season are going to be hectic for everyone on the field, but just as much as everyone off it. You’re probably going to need to figure out which plays are the best ones in terms of teams sitting the star players for the playoff advantage, or which teams are going all in for the final playoff push. If you need that extra push, trust that our champion handicappers can get the job done for you. Matt Fargo has a 17-9-0 run over the last 30 days in the NFL. Brian Bitler has continued to stay consistent, despite a wild, unpredictable season, by going 16-9-0. Do you want a piece of this action? Make sure to stay locked to bigal.com and follow our champion handicappers so you can be a champion, too!
Lions - Jets preview, analysis and prediction
Last week
Lions: won 34-23 vs. Vikings
Jets: lost 20-12 at Bills
Lions analysis
Lions analysis
Things continue to break the right way for the Detroit Lions. Suddenly, one more win and they’re at .500 with a playoff spot realistically on the horizon. Thanks to five wins in six games, including a run of six straight wins against the spread, the Lions have become the betting and football darlings of the world right now. As Pat McAfee would say, these are the BRAND … NEW … LIONS.
That 34-23 win over the Minnesota Vikings last week was about as telegraphed for a 2.5-point favorite as one could expect. Of course the Vikings are now division champs after pulling off the miraculous 33-0 comeback on Saturday against the Colts, but the Lions are very much in play for a playoff spot. They’ll have a chance to tie the Seattle Seahawks in record, but Seattle will hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.
But that’s one battle the Lions can continue to put together. Not only have the Lions been a tremendous play on the spread, but they’ve dominated. Three of the covers were by double digits; two of them by at least 16 points, and one of them reached 25.
The Lions have put themselves in a position the likes of which we haven’t seen. Jared Goff has been tremendous and is coming off a 330-yard, 3-touchdown effort last week. In three straight games, he’s amassed 300 passing yards and a quarterback rating of 100. Just absurd what he’s put together.
Jets analysis
We knew the New York Jets’ luck was going to run out eventually, and three losses in four games has put quite the damper on things. It also doesn’t help there was a season sweep at the hands of the New England Patriots that put a damper on their playoff hopes, but it also isn’t any good that Mike White isn’t playing in this game.
Yes, Zach Wilson gets the start again for the Jets and the cries for the ridiculousness have already started. The Jets are 4-3 against the spread in their last seven and that’s helped in part to the defense keeping things close. White’s offense had put the Jets in position to potentially steal some momentum, but his injury now puts a halt to that.
The Jets are coming off a 20-12 loss to the Bills last week that was more impressive in the fact that New York covered as 10-point dogs. If anything, their defense is going to be able to find a way to keep the Jets in this game. Hilariously enough, the Jets are 1.5-point favorites in this game. Does it make sense? No.
Is it worth throwing some money on the underdog because it might not matter who is quarterbacking? Yes.
Prediction
The Lions have been very good following an ATS win, going 5-0 in their last five as well as going 6-0 in their last six following a straight up win. The Jets are 6-1 ATS in their last seven after scoring less than 15 points last game. This is the kind of situation that benefits the Lions on the road because of defense and willingness to start the car. Lions by 6
Betting trends
Lions are 20-10 ATS in all games the last 2 seasons.
Lions are 18-9 ATS as an underdog the last 2 seasons.
Jets are 55-78 ATS off a road loss since 1992.
Statistical leaders
Lions:
Passing: Jared Goff -- 3,352 yards, 22 TD, 7 INT
Rushing: Jamaal Williams -- 806 yards, 14 TD
Receiving: Amon-Ra St. Brown -- 898 yards, 6 TD
Defense: Aidan Hutchinson -- 7 sacks
Jets:
Passing: Mike White -- 952 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Michael Carter -- 375 yards, 3 TD
Receiving: Garrett Wilson -- 868 yards, 4 TD
Defense: Quinnen Williams -- 11 sacks
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
