The Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears close out their 2025 NFL regular seasons against each other on Sunday afternoon. There are postseason implications for one team in this game, though it isn’t the team we would have expected going into the year. Chicago enters as the NFC North champion with an 11-5 record, while Detroit limps in at 8-8 after missing the playoffs. Here, I break down this division rivalry game in Week 18 and make my Lions vs Bears prediction.
Our Lions vs Bears Pick
| Pick: | |
| Confidence: | 4/5 |
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Detroit Lions vs Chicago Bears
- Date & Time: Sunday, January 4, 2026, 4:25 PM
- Venue: Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
- Broadcast: FOX
Key Storylines
Chicago clinched the NFC North for the first time since 2018 and secured home-field advantage for the Wild Card round as it enters Week 18 with an 11-5 record. The Bears performed well overall under coach Ben Johnson, featuring a top-ten offense and a defense that led the league in takeaways. Caleb Williams grew into his role as the franchise quarterback this year and he is coming off a huge game despite a loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17. A win would lock the Bears into the second seed in the NFC, while a loss could drop them into third position.
Detroit’s season has concluded with inconsistency, as the Lions have lost three straight games and four of their last five. That run of poor play has seen their playoff hopes evaporate, leaving head coach Dan Campbell to evaluate their roster instead of getting ready for the playoffs. The Lions are not known to quit on Campbell and should play hard in this game, but there are questions about how good they are capable of being.
Quarterback Play
Jared Goff leads the Lions with 4,233 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions this season. Goff’s ability to distribute to playmakers like Amon-Ra St. Brown has kept Detroit competitive despite offensive line concerns.
Chicago’s Caleb Williams has over 3,700 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions in his second pro season. Williams has shown flashes of brilliance but also the growing pains typical of a young quarterback. In the Bears’ latest loss to the Niners, he passed for over 330 yards with two scores in a high-scoring game.
Betting Trends & H2H
- The Lions are 1-6 against the spread in their last 7 games.
- The Bears are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games.
- Detroit is 1-4 straight up in its last 5 games.
- Chicago is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games.
- The total has gone over in 5 of Detroit’s last 6 games.
- Bears are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games at home.
- Detroit beat Chicago 52-21 in their first meeting of the season.
Lions vs Bears Model Projection
Final Thoughts
