Chicago (4-7) at Detroit (10-1)
Thursday, 12:30 p.m. EST, CBS
BetMGM NFL odds: Lions by 10 1/2.
Against the spread: Bears 6-4-1; Lions 9-2.
Series record: Bears lead 105-78-5.
Last meeting: Bears beat Lions 28-13 in Chicago on Dec. 10, 2023.
Last week: Vikings beat Bears 30-27; Lions beat Colts 24-6.
Bears offense: overall (26), rush (22), pass (29), scoring (T-22).
Bears defense: overall (17), rush (20), pass (13), scoring (8).
Lions offense: overall (2), rush (4), pass (6), scoring (1).
Lions defense: overall (17), rush (20), pass (13), scoring (8).
Turnover differential: Bears plus-9; Lions plus-9.
Bears player to watch
QB Caleb Williams. The No. 1 overall pick from the NFL draft in Detroit has looked more comfortable the past two games with Thomas Brown as offensive coordinator. Williams was regressing in the weeks leading up to Shane Waldron’s firing. He threw for 340 yards and two TDs last week in his fourth straight turnover-free game and fifth in a row without an interception.
Lions player to watch
RB David Montgomery. He has run for a TD in each of the past three games and has rushed for 11 scores this season. In 25 games with the Lions, he has 24 rushing TDs. In 60 games with the Chicago Bears from 2019 to 2022, he ran for 26 scores and had 4,849 yards from scrimmage. Montgomery was slowed by a shoulder injury last week, but is expected to play.
Key matchup
Detroit's running game against Chicago's defense. The Lions have a rushing TD in an NFL-record 25 straight games. Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are the first RBs on a team to have at least 10 TDs on the ground in consecutive years. The Bears are ranked 20th against the run, a relative weakness that may be pivotal in Detroit.
Key injuries
Bears G Ryan Bates (concussion) and DB Elijah Hicks (ankle) were on the injury report Tuesday after both players missed last week’s game. ... Lions CB Carlton Davis (knee/thumb), OT Taylor Decker (knee) and PR/WR Kalif Raymond (foot) are not expected to play.
Series notes
Chicago ended a three-game losing streak in the series last year. ... The Lions started their tradition of playing on Thanksgiving on Nov. 29, 1934, with a 19-16 loss to the Bears. ... Chicago has beaten Detroit three straight times on Thanksgiving, sending Lions fans home unhappy in 2021, 2019 and 2018. ... The Bears will play the Lions on the holiday for the 20th time, trailing only Green Bay's 22 appearances in Detroit on Thanksgiving.
Stats and stuff
Chicago has dropped five straight for the first time since losing the last 10 games of the 2022 season. ... The Bears have lost three games on the final play during their skid. They lost on a Hail Mary at Washington in Week 8, had a game-ending FG blocked by Green Bay and watched as Minnesota’s Parker Romo made a 29-yard FG last week. ... The Bears are 5-18 in one-possession games under coach Matt Eberflus, including a 2-5 mark this year. ... Eberflus, in his third season, is 14-31 overall and 1-3 against Detroit. ... WR DJ Moore caught seven passes for a season-high 106 yards and a TD against Minnesota. That gave him 14 receptions for 168 yards the past two games after being limited to 13 catches for 104 yards over the previous four games. ... Cairo Santos has had three FGs blocked this season, including one in each of the past two games. The three blocked FG are the most for Chicago in a single season since it also had three blocked in 2012. ... The Bears will host Detroit in Week 16. ... Buffalo and Pittsburgh are the two teams in the NFL with a better turnover differential than Detroit and Chicago. ... Detroit has lost seven straight games, including three times to Chicago, and 16 of its past 20 games on Thanksgiving and the Bears have won four in a row on the holiday. ... The Lions lead the NFC with a 10-1 mark and are tied with Kansas City for the NFL's best mark. ... Detroit has won 10 of its first 11 games for the first time since 1934 and has a chance to be 11-1 for the first time in franchise history. ... The Lions can clinch a spot in the playoffs with numerous scenarios including a win over Chicago along with losses by San Francisco, Arizona, Seattle and Tampa Bay.
Fantasy tip
Montgomery may be a little more motivated, going against his former team. He has been held without a rushing TD in just two games this season. The Bears are week against the run and Montgomery is as strong as any back in the league.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
The Associated Press
