NFL Betting Monday Night Football Week 2: Lions at Packers—Lines, Odds, Analysis & Picks

A betting breakdown of the Week 2 Monday Night Football matchup between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers.

Week 2 of the 2021 NFL season concludes on Monday night when Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers play host to Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions. For all of those looking to write-off Rodgers and the Packers after witnessing that terrible performance in Week 1 against Tampa Bay, remember that the three-time MVP winner loves playing between the white lines of Lambeau Field.

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Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers

• Spread: Detroit Lions +11.5 (-110) | Green Bay Packers -11.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Detroit (+450) | Green Bay (-550)
• Total: 48.5– Over (-110) | Under 48.5 (-110)
• Public (Spread) Betting Percentages: DET 56% | GB 44%
• Game Info: Monday September 20, 2021 8:15 pm EST | ESPN

The line has risen one point since its opening in favor of Green Bay (0-1 SU; 0-1 ATS), now offering Aaron Rodgers and the Packers as 11.5-point favorites over Detroit (0-1 SU; 1-0 ATS) at SI Sportsbook .

After being blown out by New Orleans 38-3 in Week 1, Green Bay looks to bounce back on Monday night against the Lions. In perhaps the biggest upset of the opening week, Rodgers threw for just 133 yards and two interceptions, while the defense was torched for five touchdown passes by Jameis Winston and the Saints. On the other side of the ball, Detroit displayed resilience with a strong second half covering as nine-point underdogs in a 41-33 loss against San Francisco.

So far, we are witnessing reverse steam as public money believes that the Lions will cover for the second consecutive week as touchdown-plus underdogs, but the oddsmakers are moving the line in the opposite direction. Bettors need to be cognizant that the Packers are 9-2 SU in their last eight games at Lambeau Field against the Lions. In addition, Green Bay has been stellar over the past eight home openers posting an 8-0 SU record.

My projections have wideout Davante Adams and tight end Robert Tonyan being the two players to see significant volume in the passing game. Expect Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillion to have bounce-back games against a porous Lions run defense that surrendered 131 rushing yards to San Francisco last week. Jones' any-time touchdown at -128 on SI Sportsbook is a play I would suggest backing.

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On the other side of the ball, the Lions will likely be in full pass-mode in the second half - forcing them to lean heavily on the arm of Jared Goff. With top veteran receiver Tyrell Williams out for Monday night’s tilt, my projections call for tight end T.J. Hockenson and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown to draw the majority of targets. However, do not sleep on young wideouts Trinity Benson or Quintez Cephus in your DFS lineups. I would suggest backing Hockenson’s any-time touchdown at +175 on SI Sportsbook as well as a smaller investment on Benson at +600.

While Green Bay has won four straight games over Detroit, the Lions are 3-1 ATS over that span. Detroit is 7-1 ATS over their last eight games against the Packers. The public will love these trends and look to grab the points, but Detroit will be facing Rodgers at the wrong time. Lay the wood.

SI BET: Green Bay -11.5 (-110)

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SI BET REVIEW

So far we have backed two teams that have won SU (Tampa Bay and Washington) but have come up short against the spread. Last Monday, our play on the Under 50 was lost when Las Vegas and Baltimore combined to score 33-points in the fourth quarter and overtime to land on 60. Let’s look to get back to our winning ways on Monday!

2021 SI Betting NFL Football: 0-3 ATS
2020 SI Betting NFL Football: 72-58-1 ATS (55%)

BY THE NUMBERS

• Public Betting: 56% of money on Detroit
• Line Move: Packers -10.5 to -11.5

2020 Against the Spread Record

• Detroit Lions: 7-9 ATS (Home: 3-5 ATS, Away: 4-4 ATS)
• Green Bay Packers: 10-6 ATS (Home: 5-3 ATS, Away: 5-3 ATS)

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Frankie Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program ever offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Frankie is SI Betting's Senior Analyst and provides his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene. You can follow Frankie on Twitter @Frankie_Fantasy for his latest betting and fantasy insights from Las Vegas.