We have 11 NFL games in Week 16 scheduled for Saturday, December 24, including this conference encounter in Charlotte, NC, and here you can take a look at the best Lions vs. Panthers betting pick and odds.

Detroit is looking for the fourth consecutive victory when they visit Carolina at Bank of America Stadium. The Lions are -2.5 favorites on BetDSI Sportsbook, while the total is set at 44 points. These NFC rivals will meet for the first time since 2020 when the Panthers won 20-0 at home.

Lions edged the Jets in New York

The Detroit Lions (7-7-0, 10-4-0 ATS) are back at .500 for the first time since Week 2. Detroit opened the season with six losses in seven games but now won six of the last seven and the Lions are suddenly in the playoff race. After defeating Jacksonville and Minnesota at home, the Lions edged the New York Jets 20-17 on the road. The Lions were 17-13 down after a two-minute warning but then scored a winning touchdown through Brock Wright, who decided the tilt with a 51-yard TD catch.

Jared Goff completed 23 of 38 passes for 252 yards and one touchdown. Brock Wright was on the receiving end of that aforementioned TD pass, which was his lone reception in the game. Amon-Ra St. Brown led the Lions with 76 yards on seven catches, while D’Andre Swift led all the runners with a game-high 52 yards on eight carries. Defensively, Detroit had four sacks opposite New York’s zero. Romeo Okwara was credited with two of them, while DeShon Elliott, Jeff Okudah, and Kerby Joseph each had six tackles.

WR Quintez Cephus is on the Injured Reserve/Designated for Return list with a foot issue, and he has one week to be activated. S DeShon Elliott (shoulder) and LB Derrick Barnes (knee) are questionable to face Carolina on Saturday.

Panthers couldn’t do much against solid Steelers’ D

The Carolina Panthers (5-9-0, 7-7-0 ATS) were on a two-game winning run for the first time this season, but they couldn’t make it three in a row as the Pittsburgh Steelers secured a 24-16 win in Charlotte. The Panthers weren’t good on offense, totaling only 209 yards opposite Pittsburgh’s 325, while the Steelers were also better in first downs (22-12) and possession (36:11-23:49).

Sam Darnold completed 14 of 23 passes for 225 yards and one touchdown. Carolina’s run offense was completely stopped as it had miserable 21 yards on 16 rushing attempts. DJ Moore led the team in receiving with 73 yards and a touchdown on five receptions, while Chuba Hubbard and Terrace Marshall Jr. combined for 108 yards on six catches. On defense, Jeremy Chinn and Shaq Thompson impressed with combined 26 tackles.

WR Andre Roberts (knee) and K Zane Gonzalez (groin) are out indefinitely. CB CJ Henderson (ankle) and LB Brandon Smith (ankle) are questionable to play on Saturday against the Lions.

Trends:

Detroit:

  • 7-0 ATS in the last seven games overall
  • 9-4 ATS in the last 13 road games
  • 4-0 ATS in the last four games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game

Carolina:

  • 4-10 ATS in the last 14 home games
  • 2-6 ATS in the last eight games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game

Detroit Lions vs. Carolina Panthers Pick

The Lions do have the second-worst defense in the NFL that allows 26.0 points per game, but they managed to keep the opponents below 19 points in three of the last five games. They are much more efficient on offense than the Panthers as the Lions average 26.4 ppg opposite Carolina’s 19.7 ppg. Detroit has the third-worst pass defense that allows 265.1 yards per game, but the Panthers’ pass offense is one of the weakest in the league as it averages only 170.6 ypg. Jared Goff has more offensive weapons than Sam Darnold, and the Lions are alive in the playoff race, so I am backing the visitors here.

Pick: Take the Lions at -2.5 (-110)

The Total

Detroit’s defense is significantly improving in the past few weeks, which is one of the biggest reasons the Lions are back at .500. Carolina’s offense is unstable, to say at least, and we cannot rely on it if we want to bet on Over. The Lions know they will have to limit the hosts to 14-17 points to get a win here, and I am backing them to do it. Under is 5-2 in the Panthers’ last seven home games; Under is 5-1 in Carolina’s previous six games following an ATS loss, while Under is 4-0 in the Lions’ last four Saturday games.

Pick: Go Under 45.5 points (-130)