The Lions notched up their second win this season when they shocked the Cardinals as nearly two-touchdown underdogs on Sunday. Their young roster showed up and impressed, especially Craig Reynolds on the ground who earned himself a call up to the main roster. Still, they’ll be hoping that D'Andre Swift and/or Jamaal Williams will return this week.

The 6-8 Falcons are somehow still in with a chance of a wild card spot despite a loss to the 49ers. They need to win out so it’s safe to say it’s not likely with the Bills on the schedule, but meaningful football at Christmas is always the aim for lesser teams in the league and they have achieved that this season.

Once again this week, before making any NFL picks make sure to check the COVID news. Jared Goff was added to the list early in the week and will need negative tests to be involved in this game. If he can't go then it will be Tim Boyle getting the start for the second time this season.

Let’s see what the NFL betting markets think of this matchup.

Check out the latest Falcons vs Lions odds, betting lines, injury report and more.

Lions vs Falcons key matchups

Lions RBs vs. Falcons defense: Craig Reynolds topped 100 yards at 4.3 yards per carry in Week 15. If Swift and Williams miss out, then he’ll be hoping to have another big game, if not, they have three viable options in the run game.

Kyle Pitts vs. Lions defense: It’s been a rough few weeks for the Falcons but the athleticism of Pitts shows up each week and slowing him will be a key for the Lions defense.

Matt Ryan vs. Himself: Matt Ryan has shown in flashes that he is still a legitimate QB in the league. He’s also had some terrible games. If he keeps the stat-sheet clean, they should win the matchup.

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Key Lions vs Falcons stats

9-5: They say good teams win, great teams cover. The Lions are 3rd in wins against the spread this season.

0-6: The Lions' SU record on the road this season.

1-5: The Falcons record at home this season.

-126: The Falcons point differential, 3 points worse than the two-win Lions.

384: Total points conceded by the Falcons, only the Jets have allowed more.

Lions vs. Falcons Weather Forecast

This is a dome game, so no worries about the weather here.

Lions vs Falcons Moneyline

As the home team hosting a team with only two wins on the whole season, sportsbooks have the Falcons installed at a best price of -250 at DraftKings.

Realistically they should win the game and they need it far more than the Lions. But the Lions have been in most games this season and should once again keep it close. After beating the 10-win Cardinals last week it wouldn’t surprise if they pull off the upset; available at +215 with FanDuel.

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Lions vs Falcons Point Spread

The news that Jared Goff could miss out due to a positive COVID test only moved the NFL spreads by a point despite his good performance at the weekend. There’s no confirmation on whether he is vaccinated or not but it seems his availability doesn’t matter too much, according to most betting apps.

Five of the last six Lions games have been decided by 8 or fewer points and they have played hard this year. I have to lean to the Lions covering. If you prefer the Falcons against the spread, there is -5.5 around at -110 with PointsBet.

Lions vs Falcons Totals

After a weekend of Unders hitting in the NFL you would expect lines to be lower than usual, and betting sites have this lined at around 42 points. That’s probably about right, the Lions have only scored over 20 points three times this season, while the Falcons haven’t been great on offense either.

Both teams concede a lot of points though, and for that reason I fancy a relatively exciting game. I like Over 42 this week, which is best priced at BetMGM (-110).

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