Can the Detroit Lions go just one week without a dispiriting and critical injury report? At full strength, Dan Campbell’s group looks like the best in the league. Even as the misfortune mounts, the 13-2 Lions are road favorites against the 6-9 San Francisco 49ers, who have endured a harrowing injury streak of their own.
How to watch Lions at 49ers
Detroit is first in points scored and seventh in points against. It’s No. 1 in Football Reference’s simple rating system and has looked like a world-beater since Week 1. Now, to the team’s injured reserve — Aidan Hutchinson, Alex Anzalone, Marcus Davenport, Carlton Davis III, Alim McNeill and Malcolm Rodriguez are all out for this defense, while David Montgomery is unavailable for at least the next few weeks.
Good stuff still abounds. Jared Goff is 10th in attempts but second in passing yardage. Jahmyr Gibbs has already smashed his stellar rookie production, and Amon-Ra St. Brown has his third consecutive 100-catch, 1,100-yard campaign.
They’ll look to get right against a bruised Niners squad that has dropped five of its last six games. This has been a deeply strange season for Kyle Shanahan — the 49ers somehow lost three divisional games that they were leading at the two-minute warning.
If San Francisco is to pull off the Monday night upset, it’ll need a colossal game from its defense. Leonard Floyd leads all pass rushers with 8.5 sacks. Fred Warner is still a menace at linebacker. And the secondary is third in passing yardage allowed.
The Niners are officially out of the postseason conversation, while the Lions and 14-2 Vikings will play next week for the NFC’s top spot and a first-round bye.
Detroit Lions vs. San Francisco 49ers odds
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