Machibet777 LoginLions vs. Panthers Odds, Picks, Predictions NFL Week 16: Playoff Hopefuls Set to do Battle

The Detroit Lions have covered against the spread in seven straight games and next face the Carolina Panthers. Check out our Lions-Panthers NFL pick and prediction based on the top odds.

Two of the NFC’s more unlikely playoff contenders will go head to head on Christmas Eve when the Lions take on the Panthers.

The Lions’ (10-4 ATS, 9-5 O/U) meteoric rise in the standings continued last week with a three-point road win over the New York Jets. Detroit got back to .500 in the standings and has now won six of its last seven games following a 1-6 start.

As for the Panthers (7-7 ATS, 6-8 O/U), a two-game winning streak came to an end last week in a home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Even with that setback, Carolina remains just a game out of first place in what has proven to be an atrocious NFC South Division.

Here is our Lions vs. Panthers NFL pick for Week 16 (odds via ; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5 star scale).

Check out our NFL Best Bets and all of our top NFL Picks for Week 16.

Lions vs. Panthers Game Info

Date: Saturday, Dec. 24, 1 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Weather: 26 degrees, 0% chance of precipitation, 11-mph W winds

Lions vs. Panthers Odds

Lions vs. Panthers Odds Analysis

The Lions were installed as 2.5-point favorites and the spread has remained there. It’s interesting to note that the line has remained stagnant despite 55% of the cash being on the Panthers and 76% of the tickets with the Lions.

The total has moved from 44.5 to 43.5 with 88% of the cash on the Over and 58% of the tickets on the Under.

Lions vs. Panthers Pick

Under 43.5 ⭐⭐

Lions quarterback Jared Goff has received plenty of attention recently as the team has vaulted up the NFC standings and into playoff contention. That said, the biggest and most important improvements for Detroit have come on defense.

The Lions still rank in the bottom half of the league in most season-long defensive categories. However, it has been a different story lately. For the year, Detroit ranks 31st in scoring defense at 26 points per game. However, in the last three games, the Lions have given up an average of only 18 points. The latter ranks top-10 in the NFL over that span.

When it comes to this week’s matchup, the Lions’ drastic improvements in stopping the run should serve them well. After all, the majority of Carolina’s offensive game plan centers around running backs D’Onta Foreman and Chubba Hubbard. Some might even consider quarterback Sam Darnold to be a better ball-carrier than he is a passer.

Detroit ranks 26th defensively against the run, allowing 133.4 yards per game. For as bad as the unit was early in the year, the Lions have actually been one of the league’s stingiest run defenses in recent weeks. Their last three opponents, all of whom have been far more proficient offensively than the Panthers this season, combined to average only 55.7 yards on the ground.

Bettors should also consider the Lions’ massive home-road scoring splits on offense. Goff may be garnering praise lately, but he is hardly the same QB on the road, particularly outdoors. The Panthers’ defense has been playing hard for interim head coach Steve Wilks and should be able to hold up its end of the bargain to help the Under come in.

Lions vs. Panthers Best Odds

FanDuel (-105)

DraftKings	FanDuel	BetMGM	Caesars	PointsBet
Under 43.5 (-110)	Under 43.5 (-105)	Under 43.5 (-110)	Under 43.5 (-110)	Under 43.5 (-107)

With the total now uniform across all five major sportsbooks, the best choice comes down to juice – and while PointsBet is usually the victor here, FanDuel takes the crown for this one with a -105 offering on the U43.5

Lions-Panthers picks made 12/22/2022 at 1:17 p.m. ET

Here are our Best NFL Betting Sites:

* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Best Online Sportsbooks | Best U.S. Sportsbook Promos

Written By:
Henry John

Henry’s passion for sports dates all the way back to childhood and has ultimately led to a full-fledged career as an analyst and content creator. After getting his start penning fantasy football articles, he forrayed into the betting side of the business in early 2019. His love for sports and statistics proved to be an ideal match with the dedicated research and strategy that handicapping requires. Henry currently specializes in betting analysis and picks for college football, college basketball, and NASCAR. He counts NFL, WNBA, and NBA player props as additional leagues/markets of interest. Henry graduated from SUNY Buffalo in 2021 with a Communication Studies degree and a Psychology minor. A native of the Finger Lakes region in Upstate New York, he and his pup, Harold, have since relocated to Laramie, Wyoming. Thanks to his professional goals within the sports betting industry, there has been a whole lot of steam on the odds for a move to Las Vegas in 2023! Most of Henry’s free time is spent on outdoor adventures, playing chess, snowboarding, or reading a good book. He is also a competitive powerlifter and aspires to qualify for the USAPL Nationals meet within the next 2-3 years.