The NFL closes Week 17 on Monday Night Football with the Detroit Lions (13-2) facing the San Francisco 49ers (6-9). Kickoff at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN.
I have a Lions vs. 49ers prediction on the spread. Detroit has a crucial game against the Vikings next week to decide the NFC North and conference's No. 1 seed, and San Francisco has already been eliminated, so this game will not affect the playoff picture.
NFL odds have the Lions installed as 3.5-point-point favorites against the 49ers tonight with the over/under set at 50.5 points scored. Detroit is -218 on the moneyline to win outright, while San Francisco is a +180 underdog to pull off the upset at home.
Lions vs. 49ers Prediction, Best Bet
Against the Spread
I'll take the 49ers here at anything more than a field goal. I project this spread as a little less than two points, so I'll happy take 3.5 to avoid the key number of three.
San Francisco is missing key players like RB Christian McCaffrey, WR Brandon Aiyuk and perhaps most importantly LT Trent Williams. Still, I have them rated as a top-10 team in the NFL during a season that they've had some brutal luck.
Over/Under
My projections make this total 50, so I'm close enough to the market that I don't have a bet on this game's total.
My Pick: 49ers +3.5
Lions vs. 49ers Odds
| Lions Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -118 | 50.5 -108o / -112u | -218 |
| 49ers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -102 | 50.5 -108o / -112u | +180 |
- Lions vs. 49ers spread: Lions -3.5 (-118)
- Lions vs. 49ers over/under: 50.5 (-108 / -112)
- Lions vs. 49ers moneyline: Lions -218, 49ers +180
Odds via DraftKings as of 4:25 p.m. ET.
Lions vs. 49ers Betting Preview
Betting Trends
- 83% of bets and 66% of money bet on the spread are on the Lions to cover.
- 88% of bets and 95% of money bet on the moneyline are on the Lions.
- 61% of bets and 5617% of money bet on the over/under are on the OVER.
Detroit Lions
- The Lions have failed to cover the spread in 3 of their last 4 games.
- The OVER has hit in each of the Lions’ last 3 games.
San Francisco 49ers
- The 49ers have failed to cover the spread in 6 of their last 7 games.
- The UNDER has hit in 4 of the 49ers’ last 7 games.
Monday Night Football Picks: Lions vs. 49ers
It's not a pretty injury situation for the 49ers, but Isaac Guerendo has a shot to play and they should get Nick Bosa back at full strength, which would make a massive difference along the defensive line. George Kittle should also have an extremely favorable matchup throughout the game.
While the 49ers certainly have injury concerns, the Lions do as well. They will once again trot out a defensive group that has been decimated by injury. Everybody saw the Bills put up 48 points in Detroit in a road victory two weeks ago, but last week's effort had to be even more discouraging for Lions fans. A bad Bears offense put up nearly 400 yards of offense against the Lions (at 6.5 yards per play) just a few days before laying a complete egg at home against Seattle.
Detroit is dealing with impactful injuries on defense at all three levels, which is something Brock Purdy and co. can take advantage of.
Do I think the Lions will be motivated? Absolutely. For starters, Dan Campbell has his team ready every week, but the Lions will also be looking to avenge last year's NFC Championship loss at the scene of the crime. Minnesota took care of business yesterday, so this game means nothing. The game the Lions need to win is next week against the Vikings. Also a win would guarantee them the No. 1 seed in the event of a tie against Minnesota next week.
With that said, I also expect the 49ers to come out with their best effort in primetime on Monday night against the best team in the NFC. This game basically becomes their 2024 season Super Bowl (have to be specific with that since they, you know, lost a Super Bowl earlier this year). I thought San Francisco was extremely flat in Miami last week after getting eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the day and expect a much livelier performance this week.
At the end of the day, these are still professional football players, so this comes down to the number for me. I still have the 49ers power-rated as a top-10 team in the league. They've just been extremely unlucky with countless close losses throughout the season.
Ultimately, I don't think Detroit's defensive injuries are being properly accounted for in the market at the moment, so I like anything over a field goal.
Trending: Fading Dan Campbell is not for the faint of heart. During his tenure in Detroit, he's gone a ridiculous 45-20-1 ATS (69.2%).
I would bet the 49ers as long as I'm getting 3.5 points. I need the hook if I'm going to fade the Lions.
My Pick: 49ers +3.5
Lions vs. 49ers Inactives
Lions Injuries
| Player |
|---|
| RB David Montgomery |
| QB Teddy Bridgewater |
| OL Giovanni Manu |
| OL Kayode Awosika |
| OL Colby Sorsdal |
| DL Jonah Williams |
| DL Brodric Martin |
49ers Injuries
| Player |
|---|
| QB Brandon Allen |
| DL Robert Beal Jr. |
| OL Spencer Buford |
| LB Dre Greenlaw |
| DL Khalil Davis |
| RB Israel Abanikanda |
| CB Charvarius Ward |
How To Watch Monday Night Football
Lions vs. 49ers will be broadcast live on ABC and ESPN. You can watch the "Manning Cast" on ESPN2. The game can be streamed live on YouTube TV or or similar streaming platforms.
The final Monday Night Football game of the season is scheduled to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET.
