Detroit Lions vs San Francisco 49ers Matchup

Read our Lions vs 49ers pick and preview for this NFL pre-season week 17 game in Santa Clara. Check out who we like to win and cover the spread in this regular season NFL matchup.

ABC will broadcast the week 17 NFC matchup between the Lions and 49ers at 8:15 ET on Monday, December 30th. The Lions are favored on the road with a -3.5 point spread and money line odds of -196. The game, being played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, has an over/under line set at 50.5 points.

Lions vs. 49ers Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NFL
Teams: Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers
Where: Santa Clara at Levi's Stadium
Date: Monday, December 30th
Betting Odds DET -3.5, DET -196 | SF +164 O/U 50.5

Lions Preview:

With a 13-2 record, the Lions sit atop both the NFC North and our NFL power rankings. They have a +12.9 scoring margin and are 10-4-1 against the spread, including a 9-4-1 mark as favorites. Detroit has a 100% chance of making the playoffs and a 76.3% chance of winning the division.

After a week 15 loss to the Bills, the Lions bounced back with a 34-17 win over the Bears in week 16. They covered the 6.5-point spread, and the 51 combined points went over the 47.5-point line. This was the third straight game the over has hit in Detroit’s games.

Lions Offense Breakdown

Jared Goff has been on fire for the Lions, posting a passer rating of 136 in week 16 against the Bears, with 336 yards and 3 touchdowns on 23/32 passing. In week 15, he threw for 494 yards and 5 touchdowns against the Bills, and in week 14, he had 283 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Packers. Jameson Williams led the team in receiving in week 16, with 5 catches for 143 yards, and Jahmyr Gibbs had 109 rushing yards on 23 carries.

Detroit leads the NFL in scoring, averaging 32.9 points per game, and ranks 2nd in passing yards per game with 264.7, despite being 15th in passing attempts. They are 6th in rushing yards per game, with 143.9, on 31.3 attempts per game. The Lions are 5th in the league in 3rd-down conversions, with a 46.7% success rate.

Lions Team Defense

In the Lions' 34-17 win over the Bears, Detroit's defense allowed Chicago to convert only 20% of their third down attempts. The Lions gave up 323 passing yards on 26 completions, but held the Bears to just 59 rushing yards on 17 attempts. Detroit's two sacks helped them win the quarterback hit and tackles for loss differentials.

The Lions' defense did give up two passing touchdowns and allowed the Bears to put up 382 total yards, but they were able to limit Chicago's scoring and make key stops when needed.

49ers Preview:

Heading into week 17 against the Lions, the 49ers have lost two straight games, including a 29-17 defeat to the Dolphins in week 16. San Francisco was a 1.5-point favorite in that matchup but couldn’t get the win, dropping their record to 6-9. With the loss, the 49ers are now 4th in the NFC West and have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Despite their record, the 49ers rank 9th in our NFL power rankings. They have an average scoring margin of -1.2 points per game and are 5-10 against the spread. Their O/U record is 8-7, with their games averaging 45.3 points per contest.

49ers Offense Breakdown

San Francisco's offense is averaging 22.1 points per game, which ranks 16th in the NFL, and they are 14th in our offensive power rankings. They have been strong on 3rd down, converting 42% of their attempts, and they rank 7th in passing yards per game with 235.7, despite being 21st in passing attempts. The 49ers are 10th in rushing yards per game, averaging 130 on 27.4 attempts.

In week 16, Brock Purdy threw for 313 yards and 2 touchdowns, completing 26 of 40 passes against the Dolphins. George Kittle led the team with 8 catches for 106 yards. San Francisco scored 7 points in the 4th quarter after being shut out in the 1st and 3rd quarters.

49ers Team Defense

In their 29-17 loss to the Dolphins, the 49ers' defense struggled to stop the run, giving up 166 yards on 30 attempts, with Miami finishing the game with 381 total yards. San Francisco's defense also allowed the Dolphins to convert 33.3% of their third down attempts. The 49ers' defense didn't record any sacks in the game and they lost the quarterback hit differential by a margin of -5.

Through the air, the 49ers gave up 215 passing yards and one touchdown. Miami completed 64.7% of their passes against the 49ers.

Lions vs 49ers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Detroit has played well in their previous 5 road games, going 5-0 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 27 points per game while allowing 17. The team also performed well vs the spread at 4-1.
In their last ten games at home, the 49ers have a straight up record of 4-6 while going 3-7 vs. the spread. The team averaged 23 points per game in this stretch.
The last ten games that San Francisco was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 6-4 while going 5-5 straight up.
Over the team's last five games as the favorite, the Lions struggled vs the spread going just 2-2-1. However, they still had a straight up mark of 4-1.