Detroit Lions predictions vs. Green Bay Packers: Fans will celebrate Thanksgiving in style

Free Press sports writers share their predictions for the Detroit Lions' game Thursday against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field on Thanksgiving (12:30 p.m., Fox):

Dave Birkett

The Lions survived scares the past two weeks against the Bears and Chargers, once when their defense no-showed and once when they couldn’t get out of their own way offensively. This feels like the week for them to get back to playing complete games. The Packers have scored more than 20 points in a game once since Week 2 and are riddled with injuries on both sides of the ball. The Lions haven’t been great on Thanksgiving in recent years. They’ve lost six straight turkey day games, the second-longest streak in the tradition’s history. But they’ve had the Packers’ number under Campbell and they’re a flat-out better team all around. The Lions need a win if they’re going to catch the Philadelphia Eagles for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, and they should get one in comfortable fashion Thursday. The pick: Lions 31, Packers 17.

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Carlos Monarrez

The Packers have tightened things up defensively since the Lions blew them out in Titletown in September. But the offense still remains a work in progress. If Aaron Glenn’s crew can keep Jordan Love from scoring 20, the Lions should win easily. The pick: Lions 28, Packers 21

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Jeff Seidel

The Lions beat the Packers in Green Bay, 34-20. But this is an improved Packers team. Green Bay has won two of its last three games, and Jordan Love just threw for 322 yards against the Chargers. The Lions' defense will, once again, give up too many yards and too many touchdowns but will get the key stop when it matters most. The Lions offense will win a shootout. The pick: Lions 35, Packers 31

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Shawn Windsor

Dan Campbell should have the Lions good to go after a relatively sloppy effort against the Bears. His team has usually followed a relative stinker with a crisp and focused effort. Besides, the offense is starting to roll. The pick: Lions 29, Packers 19

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Predictions for Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving