Detroit Lions vs. New York Jets (12/18 @ 1:00 PM EST.)
Spread: Detroit (-1)
Total: Over 47
Overview and Betting Information
The 6-7 Detroit Lions travel to New York to take on the 7-6 New York Jets. It is safe to say that both teams have exceeded expectations in 2022. The Lions are in second place in the NFC North, and the Jets are tied for third in an extremely competitive AFC East division.
Detroit Lions
The Lions are coming off their biggest win of the season, beating the Minnesota Vikings at home in Week 14 by the score of 34-23. They also have won four of their last five games. The one loss was to the Bills in a close one with a final score of 28-25.
They are surging at the right time under the leadership of second year coach Dan Campbell. Campbell has this team believing in what it can do and has breathed new life into quarterback Jared Goff’s career.
The Lions are ranked 10th in the NFL’s Week 15 Power Rankings. That is up seven spots from their 17th position in Week 14.
New York Jets
Like Campbell, Jets head coach Robert Saleh has his team performing at a high level with plenty of confidence in 2022. The recent weeks have been a struggle with back-to-back losses to the Vikings and Bills.
The Jets have used three quarterbacks this season for a variety of reasons, but if Mike White is healthy, he deserves to be QB1 for the rest of the season. White suffered a ribs injury in the Bills game but does not want to relinquish his role to Zach Wilson. If White plays, the Jets offensive line needs to do a better job of protecting him.
Saleh’s defense has played well this year allowing an average of 320 yards per game. The Jets have the superior defense between these two teams, but the question will be whether they can stop the surging and confident Lions who are peaking at the right time of the season.
The Jets are ranked 12th in Week 15’s NFL Power Rankings, down two spots from 10th in Week 14.
Free Pick: Detroit (-1)
This is shaping up to be a close game as the line indicates. The Lions will cover the spread of (-1) because Campbell is not going to allow his team to have a post-Vikings letdown. The Jets also have injuries, in addition to White, that could pose problems, including to wide receiver Corey Davis, who suffered a concussion in Week 14.
