The Detroit Lions hope to keep the good vibes going in Week 5. They beat the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau last week for a statement win, becoming the sole leader in the NFC North and off to a 3-1 start for the first time since 2017.
On the surface, facing the winless Carolina Panthers at home seems like a piece of cake, but there are several reasons to expect this game to be closer than the 9.5 point line would suggest. First, the Lions are dealing with injuries to several key players on the team. On offense, they are expected to lose No. 1 receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and first-round rookie running back Jameer Gibbs. On defense, standout rookie cornerback Brian Branch has been declared out.
Additionally, while Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young struggled in his first three starts, he has shown enough talent to know he will eventually adapt and start showing why he is the top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft No. 1 pick. Carolina also has a great pass defense, led by an elite pass rusher in Brian Burns.
So does anyone on our staff predict this game will be a disappointment? Or do we buy a brand new Lions team that can weather the injury storm and head to Tampa next week with a 4-1 record?
Here are our score predictions for Sunday’s game between the Lions and Panthers.
Hamza Bakosh (3-1): 23-14 Lions
Meco Scott (3-1): 28-10 Lions
Alex Leno (3-1): 17-10 Lion
Brandon Knapp (3-1): 35-17 Lions
Ryan Matthews (3-1): 24-17 Lions
Kelly Rowe (2-1): Lions win
Morgan Cannon (2-2): 31-23 Lion
Jerry Mallory (2-2): 23-20 Lion
Jeremy Raisman (2-2): 31-13 Lions
Eric Schlitt (2-2): 28-17 Lions (5 keys to victory)
Kyle Yost (2-2): 28-13 Lions
Chris Perfit (0-0-4): 20-20 draw
John Whittika (1-3): 30-20 Lion
Check out all of our other Week 5 picks here.
Now let’s hear your predictions for Sunday. Scroll to the comments section and share your scores for a chance to be featured in next week’s Paper Preview.
