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Patriots aim for 7th straight win Sunday vs. Lions
By: Zach Cohen - StatFox
Published: 11/23/2014  at  5:15:00 AM
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DETROIT LIONS (7-3)
at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (8-2)

Kickoff: Sunday, 1:05 p.m. ET
Line: New England -7, Total: 47.5

The Lions look to bounce back from last week’s loss with a tough road trip versus the sizzling-hot Patriots.

Here is the BetDSI Sportsbook betting preview for this matchup:

Detroit fell 14-6 in Arizona last week, which snapped a four-game winning streak for the team. Meanwhile, New England dominated the Colts 42-20 in Indianapolis to win its sixth straight contest (5-1 ATS). These teams have met just three times since 2002, with the Patriots winning all three meetings and covering in two of them. RB Jonas Gray rushed for 201 yards and four touchdowns against Indy last week, but now faces a Lions defense that is allowing just 68.8 rushing yards per game. New England, meanwhile, has held two of the best offenses in football (Denver and Indianapolis) to just 20.5 PPG over the past two weeks. The Patriots are just 12-26 ATS in a home game where the total is between 45.5 and 49 points since 1992, but are also 6-0 ATS as a home favorite of seven points or less in the past two years. They are up against a Detroit team that is 1-9 ATS in road games after having won four of its past five games since 1992. With both RBs Reggie Bush (ankle) and Joique Bell (ankle) listed as probable for the Lions, the only players considered questionable are a pair of linemen, DE Jason Jones (personal) and OT LaAdrian Waddle (ankle). For New England, the only new injury to report is OL Cameron Fleming, who is questionable after suffering a leg injury last week.

Can the Patriots cruise to a seventh straight victory on Sunday? For the answer, connect to NFL Best Bets for all the StatFox Experts picks throughout the 2014 regular season and playoffs. The experts have remained hot over the past nine weeks, combining for a 58% ATS mark (80-59). StatFox Scott is 67% ATS (24-12) in Best Bets during this timeframe, and 61% ATS (27-17) on the season. StatFox Dave is 59% ATS (23-16) in Best Bets during these nine weeks to improve to 55% ATS (27-22) on the season, while StatFox Brian continues to roll in NFL Totals with a strong 64% record (21-12) for the season. StatFox Gary is 6-1 ATS in his past two weeks of NFL Best Bets.

The Lions are head to New England after their offense was non-existent in a loss to the Cardinals. QB Matthew Stafford (2,679 pass yards, 13 TD, 9 INT) really struggled in the game, throwing for just 183 yards with no touchdowns and 1 INT. He is going to need to take better care of the football, as he’s now tossed five interceptions in the past four weeks. A good first step for Stafford would be to get the ball into the hands of WR Calvin Johnson (34 rec, 520 yards, 3 TD). Johnson was targeted 12 times against the Cardinals, but had just five catches for 59 yards. The Lions will need to run some shorter routes just to get the two on the same page again. RB Joique Bell (442 rush yards, 3 TD) ran extremely well against the Cardinals, gaining 85 yards on just 14 carries (6.1 YPC). He also caught three passes for 30 yards. The Lions will need to do a better job of getting him touches, as he’s been extremely productive with the ball in his hands. They’d also be better suited to run the ball more against a solid Patriots pass defense. Reggie Bush (191 yards, 1 TD), who has missed three of the past five games, including last week, with injuries, could add some much-needed explosiveness to this team. The Lions defense continues to play well, allowing an NFL-best 15.6 PPG and league-best marks in both rushing defense (68.8 YPG) and yards per carry allowed (3.0).

The Patriots are the hottest team in football and they’ve been winning against some of the league’s elite teams. Rookie RB Jonas Gray (332 rush yards, 4.8 YPC, 4 TD) was the story of last game, finding the end zone four times and carving up the Colts’ run defense. He will likely get plenty of touches against the Lions, but their run defense is a whole different animal when compared to Indianapolis’. QB Tom Brady (2,649 pass yards, 24 TD, 5 INT) threw for 257 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the win over the Colts. Brady’s two interceptions were the most he’s had since the Patriots were blown out in Kansas City in Week 4. He should be able to bounce back against the Lions, as he is 2-0 SU against this team in the past five years. In those games, he’s thrown for 323.0 yards per game with four total touchdowns and just one interception. TE Rob Gronkowski (53 rec, 734 yards, 9 TD) caught four passes for 71 yards and a touchdown against the Colts last Sunday night, giving him five touchdowns over the past three games. He should be targeted early and often against Detroit, as he is a mismatch for any defense when he's healthy.


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