Best Bet: Defenses Cause Chaos With Turnovers

Total turnovers over 2.5 is Lions Week 13 best bet.

Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31). / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions are looking to snap a lengthy skid on Thanksgiving, having lost their last seven games on the holiday. This year, their opponent is the struggling Chicago Bears who have dropped five games in a row.

The Bears boast a rookie quarterback in Caleb Williams, which gives the Lions' defense a new test. Given how well the Lions have done at turning opponents over, they could have some success at getting to Williams and forcing turnovers.

Chicago's defense presents problems for the Lions as well, as the defensive line could get to Jared Goff. This is expidited by the fact that Taylor Decker has been ruled out, leaving the Lions without their starting left tackle.

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The last time Decker missed a game was in Week 10, when he missed the Texans game and Goff threw five interceptions.

As a result, Thursday's game could wind up being a sloppy one with multiple turnovers. PlayiLottery lead writer Drew Ellis' best bet is that the total number of turnovers in Thursday's game exceeds 2.5, which is currently set at (+105) odds on Draft Kings Sportsbook.

"It’s a short week and the Lions are beat up. Taylor Decker is out, and the last time that happened was against the Houston Texans. In that game, the Lions had five interceptions from Jared Goff," Ellis told Lions OnSI. "I think Chicago is a defense that can create pressure on Goff, especially with Decker out. That is unfortunately likely to lead to some turnovers. On the flip side, Detroit has been good at creating turnovers. Caleb Williams likes to hold on to the football, as he’s the most sacked player in the league. His desire to try and make a play could lead to strip sacks or interceptions. Either way, I think this is an ugly game due to injuries and short rest. Because of that, I expect a lot of turnovers on Thursday."

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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