NFL Week 17 expert picks: Lions vs. Bears score predictions

The Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears are on opposite ends of the spectrum of the league right now. The Lions are fighting for their playoff lives, while the Bears are challenging for the No. 1 overall pick.

But despite that gap in standings, the two teams are closer than they look. Chicago, in a lot of ways, is like where Detroit was last year. They may be racking up a ton of losses, but there’s a fair amount of optimism with the team because they’re playing competitively down the stretch, have hope on offense due to their quarterback, and they’ve got a ton of resources to use in the upcoming offseason. They’ve got some rookie defenders—see Jaquan Brisker, Kyler Gordon—that provide hope for the future, too.

The Lions are hoping to prove on Sunday that they have taken a significant step from that rebuilding phase. A win on Sunday for Detroit would mean that their regular season finale will have meaning. It won’t necessarily be a win-and-you’re-in scenario, but they’ll still be in the hunt.

So can the Lions sweep the Bears this year and keep their playoff dreams alive? Here’s what our staff is predicting for Week 17.

Kellie Rowe (12-3): 27-24 Lions
Jerry Mallory (10-5): 28-23 Lions
Hamza Baccouche (10-5): 26-17 Lions
Ryan Mathews (9-6): 35-31 Bears
Morgan Cannon (9-6): 31-17 Lions
Jeremy Reisman (9-6): 38-34 Lions
John Whiticar (9-6): 34-31 Lions
Erik Schlitt (9-6): 34-24 Lions
Kyle Yost (8-7): 27-21 Lions
Mike Payton (8-7): 27-24 Lions
Alex Reno (7-8): 24-21 Lions
Chris Perfett (0-0-15): 3-3 Tie

Check out all of our Week 17 picks here.

Now let’s hear from you. Vote in the poll below and share your score predictions in the comments.