Lions, Ravens, Vikings Will Thrive On The Road

The NFL believes in featuring the big dogs in the opening week, and it does not get much bigger than the Sunday night rematch of the 2024 AFC Divisional playoff game between Baltimore and Buffalo.

Buffalo won that one, 27-25, at home, and the Bills will play host to this one, too.

All four NFC North teams will be spotlighted in prime time, when 2024 division-winner Detroit visits Green Bay on Sunday afternoon and Minnesota travels to the Chicago Bears on Monday night.

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers

Sunday, CBS, 2:25 pm ET

The Packers made the biggest move of the preseason when they acquired four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Micah Parsons from Dallas, an acquisition that immediately bumped the line one point in their favor. They opened at – 1 1/2.

Parsons was listed as questionable late in the week with an L4/L5 facet joint sprain in his back, but late word Saturday is that he is expected to his Packers’ debut after signing a four-year, $186 million deal following the trade.

Detroit has dominated the series in the near and far term, winning six of the last seven and going 12-4 against the number against the Pack. They have covered six of the last eight at Lambeau Field.

The Packers finished third in the North and fell to Philadelphia in a wild card game last year because they could not handle their own division. They lost two games to both the Lions and Minnesota and split with Chicago.

This will be the Lions’ first game with new coordinators on both sides of the ball, but the players have not changed. Quarterback Jared Goff is 8-0 against the spread in Week 1.

The spread: Packers -2 1/2

The money line: Packers -130, Lions +110

The total: 47 1/2

The play: Lions + 2 1/2

Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills

Sunday, NBC, 6:20 pm ET

Star-studded. Not only do the Ravens (+700) and Bills (+750) have the shortest odds to win the AFC title, but also quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen are the top MVP choices, in that order.

The referendum about who deserved the MVP last year — Allen won it, Jackson had superior numbers — will not be decided here, but Jackson certainly can state his case.

This is a revenge game for Baltimore, which outgained the Bills by 143 yards in the playoff loss but committee three turnovers, one of which set up the Bills’ go-ahead field goal. Mark Andrews dropped a potential game-tying two-point conversion attempt in the final minutes.

The teams are about as even as their playoff odds. They have split the last 10 and the Bills are 5-4-1 against the number.

The spread: Bills -1 1/2

The money line: Bills -116, Ravens -102

The total: 50 1/2

The play: Ravens +1 1/2

Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears

Monday, ABC/ESPN, 6:15 pm ET

Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy will make his celebrated NFL debut here after missing the 2024 season with a knee injury suffered in preseason, while Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams is looking to build on a subpar rookie year under new coach Ben Johnson, who turned the Lions’ offense into a juggernaut behind quarterback Jared Goff.

Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell also knows offense — he was the NFL Coach of the Year last season while flipping the career of since-departed quarterback Sam Darnold

The Vikings have won eight of the last 10 straight up and are 6-3-1 against the spread in those. The Vikings have won the last five in Chicago.

The spread: Vikings -1 1/2

The money line: Vikings -116, Bears +102

The total: 43 1/2

The play: Vikings – 1/2

Last week: 1-1

Season: 1-1