Packers Wire staff predictions: Week 13 vs. Lions

The Green Bay Packers will not only play on Thanksgiving Day for the third straight season but also face the Detroit Lions on the holiday for a 23rd time, marking the latest installment of the NFL's most played matchup on Thanksgiving. Matt LaFleur's team has won back-to-back Thanksgiving games, including an upset win over the Lions in 2023. Can LaFleur and Jordan Love engineer another holiday win, and can the Packers sweep the Lions for the first time in five years?

Here’s how the staff at Packers Wire believes the Week 13 showdown with the Lions will go down:

Zach Kruse: Lions 24, Packers 23 (8-2-1)

Let me preface this by saying that I can easily see a scenario where the Packers defensive front controls the game against an injured and inconsistent Lions offensive line and the Packers eventually wear down a Lions defense that played almost 80 plays and was on the field for over 37 minutes of game time four days ago. Now that I provided a scenario where the Packers win AND picked the Lions to win, I can't be wrong, right? All jokes aside, this really does look like an even matchup that could go either way based on how the two persevere through injuries and handle the line of scrimmage. I lean slightly towards the Lions because they are at home on a short week and have a healthy quarterback and running back, but the Packers will have every opportunity to win this game if they can find ways to stay on track via the run, hit a couple of explosive plays down the field, keep Jahmyr Gibbs contained and generate a turnover or two. This is a huge spot for the Packers to prove they can win a big game against a contender in a post-Tucker Kraft world.

Brandon Carwile: Packers 27, Lions 24 (8-2-1)

Green Bay defeated Detroit by two touchdowns in Week 1, but that was at home. The Lions will host Thursday’s Thanksgiving matchup at Ford Field, where they are 4-1 this season, but will be without tight end Sam LaPorta for the rest of the season. Safety Kerby Joseph, last season’s interception leader, also isn’t expected to play. The Packers won't have Tucker Kraft or possibly Jayden Reed this time around, but the offense has looked better over the past couple of weeks. Josh Jacobs returning from injury would be a nice boost, but I think Jordan Love and company are capable of putting up points regardless. Give me Green Bay in a close one.

Mark Oldacres: Packers 29, Lions 22 (8-2-1)

On paper, this looks like a coin flip game between two extremely evenly matched teams, but the difference in this one could be explosive pass plays. The Packers defense allows them at the second lowest rate in the league, with the Lions down in 28th. Their man-heavy, single-high defense dares teams to throw downfield, and quarterbacks willing to do so can make hay, as Jameis Winston showed last week. With Jordan Love and Christian Watson, Green Bay has the assets required to punish Detroit. Unless the Lions make significant changes to their usual MO (which is possible), they might be playing right into the Packers’ hands.

Brennen Rupp: Lions 27, Packers 20 (8-2-1)

Detroit’s offensive line is not the dominant force it was a year ago. I expect Green Bay’s pass rush to be able to tee off on Jared Goff. However, will Green Bay be able to slow down Detroit’s ground game? The Vikings just got done averaging five yards a carry. A few weeks ago, Rico Dowdle looked like the best running back in the league. If the Packers can slow down Detroit’s ground attack, they should be able to pick up the road win and complete the sweep of the Lions. If the past few games are any indicator, the Lions could gash Green Bay’s leaky run defense on Thursday. Give me the Lions by seven on Thanksgiving.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers Wire staff predictions: Week 13 vs. Lions