Detroit Lions (7-7) vs. Carolina Panthers (5-9)
Week 16 of the NFL season continues Saturday, December 24, with the Detroit Lions taking on the Carolina Panthers in the NFC showdown at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, with the kick-off at 1:00 PM ET.
Detroit and Carolina lock horns for the first time since November 2020 when the Panthers blanked the Lions 20-0 as 3-point home underdogs. Carolina is a 2.5-point home dog this time around, while the totals are listed at 43.5 points.
The Detroit Lions (7-7; 10-4 ATS) ride a three-game winning streak for the second time this season. After stopping their previous three-game winning run with a 28-25 home loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving, the Lions have won three straight contests over the Jacksonville Jaguars 40-14 and Minnesota Vikings 34-23 at home, and the New York Jets 20-17 on the road.
Last Sunday, the Lions outlasted the Jets as 2-point underdogs. It was a great battle for all 60 minutes, and Detroit outgained New York 359-337 in total yards while keeping the ball in possessions for 32:32. Both teams struggled to get things going offensive-wise, and the Lions opened scoring with Kalif Raymond’s 47-yard punt return. Michael Badgley made a couple of field goals, while Jared Goff’s 51-yard TD pass to Brock Wright with 1:49 remaining in the fourth qua rter lifted Detroit over New York.
“A lot of these close games are starting to lean more toward us than them,” Goff said. “That hasn’t always been the case around here. We fully believe in each other and know that somebody’s going to make a play to do something right.”
.@Lions WR Kalif Raymond has been named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 15 after scoring on a 47-yard punt return.
He is DET's 1st non-kicker to win a Special Teams POTW Award since 2017.
The Lions now have 5 POTW awards in 2022, their most since 2016. pic.twitter.com/ucW4xrBaeg
— Detroit Lions PR (@LionsPR) December 21, 2022
Goff went 23-of-38 for 252 yards and a touchdown in Week 15. D’Andre Swift had eight carries for 52 yards and five catches for 23 yards, while Amon-Ra St. Brown and Kalif Raymond combined for 129 yards on 12 receptions. The Lions’ offensive line didn’t allow a single sack, and their run defense held the jets to 50 yards on 22 carries.
Detroit has gone 6-1 SU and 7-0 ATS over its last seven games overall, and Goff has tossed for 1,700 yards, 11 touchdowns, and an interception in that stretch. He hasn’t thrown a pick in six straight contests. Jamaal Williams hasn’t found the end zone over the last two weeks and sits at 14 touchdowns for the season, while St. Brown has recorded 50 catches for 575 yards and three scores over his last six games.
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