Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions Match Betting Preview

The Chicago Bears will secure the second seed for the NFC play-offs if they can beat the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field in Week 18 of the 2025 NFL regular season on Sunday. The crucial final-week match-up will kick off at 21:25 GMT, with live TV coverage in the UK yet to be confirmed at the time of writing.

Chicago have already clinched the NFC North title with an 11-5 record in their first season under head coach Ben Johnson, having finished last in the division (5-12) last year. They have switched roles with last season’s divisional champions the Detroit Lions, who went 15-2 in the 2024 regular season but are last in the division with an 8-8 record this time around and have been eliminated from play-off contention. The Lions have nothing tangible to play for but no-nonsense head coach Dan Campbell has said he will still field the strongest team he has available, barring injuries, as his team bid to end the season on a high note after losing their last three games to the Rams, Steelers and Vikings.

Tip 1: Chicago Bears -2.5 @ 10/11 with bet365

In previous years, the Chicago Bears might have thought twice about the wisdom of winning a game to set up a play-off clash with NFL seventh seeds the Green Bay Packers. However, they have broken their old rivals’ long run of success against them with two wins in the last three meetings and might now be relishing the prospect of meeting them at Soldier Field next week. The Bears look capable of finishing the regular season on a high note in front of their own fans with a win over a Lions team who have not lived up to expectations this season.

The Lions’ season has fizzled out with four defeats in their last five games and the loss of their former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to become the Bears’ head coach has clearly been felt. The Bears lost in a close contest to the San Francisco 49ers last week but their offence continues to impress and they can gain their revenge for their Week 2 loss to the Lions, which must seem a long time ago now for both teams.

Tip 2: Over 1.5 Chicago Bears rushing touchdowns @ 19/10 with bet365

The Bears offence has been buzzing of late with a strong and varied attack and quarterback Caleb Williams appearing to have made a rapid improvement in his second NFL season. The home side have a talented running back tandem in D’Andre Swift and impressive rookie Kyle Monangai, who have scored 14 rushing touchdowns between them this year, while QB Williams has added three.

The Bears can be fancied to score at least two touchdowns on the ground against the Lions after Swift scored from two and 22 yards against the 49ers last week, while both the touchdowns the Lions conceded to the Vikings in Week 17 were rushing scores.

Tip 3: Jared Goff over 254.5 passing yards @ 10/11 with bet365

The Lions’ 52-21 Week 2 win over the Bears is not likely to be repeated in Illinois this weekend but Detroit quarterback Jared Goff could end the regular season on a positive note, after impressing in that first meeting with 334 passing yards and five touchdowns against Chicago at Ford Field. 

Goff has averaged 264.6 passing yards per game this season and while he had a tough time against the strong Vikings pass defence on Christmas Day, managing just 197 passing yards, he had gone over 300 in his previous three games. The potential for the Lions to fall behind in a high-scoring game also increases the likelihood of Goff needing to throw more to keep his side in the contest.