Lions vs. Saints odds preview, game and player prop bets, and top football betting promo codes

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Neither the Detroit Lions nor the New Orleans Saints had much to be thankful for over Thanksgiving weekend, each suffering damaging defeats. Now, they meet in New Orleans in Week 13 each desperate for a rebound performance. Only one will get it.

Here, we detail some best bets and picks for Sunday’s game, as well as how best to bet on the clash.

Forget turkey; it was the bitter taste of defeat that both of these teams had in their mouth last week.

The Lions crashed to a 29-22 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving as Jared Goff gave up the ball far too generously, fumbling three times.

David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 125 rushing yards and Montgomery had a rushing score, but it wasn’t close to enough for Detroit to put another one in the win column. The Lions are still 8-3 and in control of the NFC North, though, and benefit from a long rest after their Thursday Night Football excursion in Week 12.

The Saints will look on enviously as the Lions still sitting first in their division despite defeat, as New Orleans slipped out of the NFC South leadership position with a 24-15 loss to the Atlanta Falcons which saw the Georgia outfit leapfrog them into first. Both those teams are 5-6, so it’s a race to get to .500 and assume superiority.

Quarterback Derek Carr struggled throughout the defeat to Atlanta, throwing for 300 yards for the fifth game this season but failing to score a touchdown for the second straight game. Perhaps more damaging was the lengthening of the Saints’ injury list, as wide receivers Rashid Shaheed and Chris Olave both left the field with nasty injuries and have been up against it this week to prove their fitness.

Kickoff at Caesars Superdome is at noon CT live on FOX. The visiting Lions are four-point favorites.

The Lions will know that they need to refine their offensive work, but this is a favorable matchup for them even on the road. The Saints are one the NFL’s very worst spread-coverers, going 2-8-1 against the spread this season and 0-4 ATS at home They only have six offensive touchdowns at home all season long and have been weakened by their injuries at receiver with Olave’s concussion and Shaheed’s quad issue.

In contrast, Detroit has seven wins in 11 games ATS this season. Detroit had won three in a row before Thanksgiving for good reason and should bounce back in New Orleans if Goff can protect the ball better. The Saints are trying to stay in the playoff picture, but the Lions will be too strong here.

Goff may have fumbled thrice but he still threw for 332 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions last week. His throwing is top drawer on its day, with his 3,075 yards ranking fifth in the NFL at an average of 279.5 yards per game.

It’s his protection of the ball that needs more work and that threatens the Lions’ offense. But Detroit will have worked on that as part of its strategy for getting around the Saints’ seventh-ranked pass defense. Detroit has the third-best passing yardage in the nation with 268.5 per game so far in 2023

As well as the power and accuracy of Goff’s arm, the Lions have another key weapon they can exploit happily this week: David Montgomery.

The 26-year-old running back’s latest touchdown took him to nine TDs on the year, and he has 648 rushing yards at a clip of 81.0 yards per game this season, 17.5 yards more than his over/under for this game. What’s more, the Saints have a poor defense against the rush (23rd in the league with 124 yards allowed per game) and their comparatively resolute pass defense may cause Goff and the Lions to spread the ball on the ground pretty often, and Montgomery is in line to benefit. He’s also available at a best price of -125 at FanDuel to score a touchdown.

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