In the witching hour of the Week 2 NFL slate, an NFC North matchup brings a couple of major storylines to center stage as one of the featured games at 1 p.m. EST. The Detroit Lions (0-1) host the Chicago Bears (0-1) for a showdown that not only holds a rivalry angle, but also a homecoming for Ben Johnson as the visitors’ head coach returns to Motor City. Will the Bears get the better of the Lions thanks to Johnson’s offense, or will the home team rebound after a poor showing to open the season?
Prepare for the Week 2 matchup with a Lions vs. Bears prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Lions vs. Bears prediction, preview
Detroit Lions
Over the last two combined campaigns, the Lions lost just seven total games in the regular season. Now just one week into the 2025 season, Detroit’s 1/7 of the way to matching that total and concerns are already mounting in regard to the team’s ability to compete in a loaded division. A Week 1 loss to a stacked Green Bay Packers squad isn’t necessarily reason to worry in itself, but the manner in which this team fell does spark questions at the very least.
An offense which looked like a world-beater over the last few years under Ben Johnson’s direction picked up just 246 total yards with only 13 points on the day. The loss marks just the fifth time in the last two seasons the Lions were held under 20 points, and a typically strong ground game mustered only 46 yards in total. Granted the Packers’ defense has the makings of one of the league’s best units, but the 3.8 yards per play Detroit created didn’t exactly begin the season on a high note.
Now, that’s not to say the Lions will struggle to score most weeks — they still roster far too much talent for that to be the case. Realistically, offensive coordinator John Morton shouldn’t even have to work all that hard to call a winning attack given the abundance of playmakers like Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta. However, this offense may need a little bit of time to really adjust to life without Johnson on the headset, and a matchup against the Bears’ defense doesn’t exactly look easy. It’s still not time to panic, though.
Chicago Bears
The Bears hit the reset button and made a splash hire with Johnson this offseason, and there’s no doubt he brings plenty of upside to his new team. In similar fashion to Detroit, Chicago might just need some time to make some tweaks before the team truly settles in on offense. After all, there’s still rust to knock off and kinks to iron out in the process of adapting to a new scheme.
The positive news is that the Bears did score 24 points and outgain the Minnesota Vikings 317 yards to 254 in their season debut. Caleb Williams also looked solid for much of that game, tallying 210 yards and a touchdown with another 58 yards and an additional score on the ground. The bad news is that the Chicago defense unraveled to allow 21 points in the fourth quarter and blow the lead, ultimately losing 27-24. Clearly, there’s work to be done.
The Bears’ offense played quite well on the opening drive but when the game plan of scripted plays ended, moving the ball became a shaky proposition as Williams sometimes struggled to complete his reads. The Lions’ pass rush will also prove problematic, but the Bears’ defense will really need to be on their A-game against Detroit. Chicago limited yardage last week and does have plenty of defensive talent, but they must hold together for four quarters given the opponent.
Lions vs. Bears pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Lions as 6.5-point favorites with -285 odds on the Moneyline. The Bears are listed at +230 odds to win outright with the game total set at 46.5 combined points.
This matchup should prove intriguing as Detroit’s defense faces an offense called by a coach they’re intimately familiar with. Whether that provides an advantage remains to be seen, but if any team is equipped to limit the effectiveness of Johnson’s offense, it’s this one. The Lions’ pass rush will likely keep Williams on the run for much of the contest and force him to work out of structure, and while the former Heisman Trophy winner can extend plays, he can also become too reliant on playing hero ball.
As for the Detroit offense, another poor performance like last week’s remains in the range of possible outcomes but ultimately feels unlikely. The Packers’ defense is probably the third-best in the NFL, so their disappointing production in Week 1 feels like more of an exception than the norm. The loss of a couple key offensive linemen does hurt, but Gibbs should have a better day against a Bears front seven which struggled to contain the run at times last year. If he’s online, the rest of the offense should fall into place. I don’t expect Detroit to post 40 points in this one by any means as they continue adjusting to life without Johnson on the sidelines, but they’ve got more than enough talent to win by at least a touchdown and cover.
