The Green Bay Packers have an opportunity to gain some massive ground in the NFC North on Thanksgiving. The Packers take on the Lions in what could be their most important remaining game of the regular season. Green Bay is 7-3-1 and only barely ahead of Detroit at 7-4 heading into Week 13. The outcome of this game could be huge for either side.
If the Packers win, they'll have a head-to-head tiebreaker against the Lions in terms of playoff seeding. That would give them a big advantage when competing for the NFC North title as well. Plus, gaining a win and handing a rival an L is always a positive outcome.
Meanwhile, a Packers loss would put the Lions right back in the mix. They are currently just outside the NFC playoff picture, so they will likely come into Thursday's game with a ton of energy. Green Bay would still be alive in this scenario, but it is far from ideal.
So which team will come out on top in this one? And are there any key matchups that could tilt the outcome one way or another?
Below we will explore three Packers bold predictions ahead of their Thanksgiving matchup against the Lions.
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Jordan Love has best game of the season, shreds vulnerable Lions defense
The Packers have a unique offense that is difficult for many NFL teams to defend against. That could be the case for the Lions as well.
Green Bay does not have one elite wide receiver. Instead, they have several solid options, allowing them to take whatever completions are open and make the most of them.
Lions have surrendered chunk plays of 20+ yards through the air in their last five games at least. In fact, they've allowed several of those plays in the same game multiple times.
Despite this, Detroit's defense is middle of the road with 210.5 passing yards allowed per game.
Putting that together, it seems that Green Bay will have their opportunities to do some damage in the passing game. They'll just have to capitalize when giving the opportunity.
Love's best game of the 2025 season came in Week 8 against the Steelers. He went 29-of-37 for 360 passing yards and three downs in that game.
I believe that Love can one-up that effort on Thanksgiving.
I predict that Jordan Love will have his best game of the season against Detroit on Thursday. He will throw for at least 350 passing yards and four touchdowns. Let's say one of those is a rushing touchdown.
If that happens, the Packers have a great chance of winning this game.
Josh Jacobs returns, rushes for over 100 yards against the Lions
Jacobs is an essential part of Green Bay's offense. He was confident last week that he could play on Thanksgiving, even if he missed Week 12.
The Packers got some solid production from Emanuel Wilson last week, but Jacobs is the back that Detroit should be worried about.
Jacobs excels at creating yards after contact. That makes him a reliable chain mover at worst, and a headache to bring down when he actually gets rolling.
The veteran running back was solid in Week 1, logging 19 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown against Detroit. I think he can do better on Thanksgiving.
I have Jacobs playing and going over 100 rushing yards.
Micah Parsons sacks Jared Goff twice, Packers beat Lions by seven points
Green Bay's offense will be important in this game. But it is their defense that could almost single handedly win the game.
The addition of Micah Parsons has completely changed Green Bay's defense for the better. They are now one of the league's best at defending both the run (96.5 rushing yards allowed per game, sixth best) and pass (182.3 passing yards allowed per game, fifth best).
The Packers have also been adept at getting after the opposing quarterback, but that sometimes manifests more in pressure than in sacks.
Thankfully, both will do the trick against the Lions.
Jared Goff is one of a few true pocket passers remaining in the NFL. When Goff is forced off his spot, and kept out of rhythm, he can easily be shaken. The Packers witnessed this themselves in Week 1.
This prediction almost writes itself, because it seems written in the stars that Parsons will have a huge game in front of a national audience.
I'm predicting that Parsons will sack Lions QB Jared Goff at least twice on Thanksgiving. I also have the Packers winning this game by at least a touchdown.
