2018 NFL Picks, score predictions for Week 12

Chicago Bears (7-3) at Detroit Lions (4-6)

Thursday, November 22, 12:30PM ET

Honestly, I wasn’t buying the hype surrounding the Chicago Bears coming into the season. There was all of this chatter about how they were going to be one of the surprise contenders in the NFC. Well, as it turns out, that ended up being exactly the case.

Now, as we work our way through the middle of November, they’ve got a firm grip on the NFC North and have affirmed their standing as a team worth taking seriously. Although I wouldn’t call them one of the conference’s elite squads, it’ll absolutely be a mistake to overlook them if they book themselves a trip to the playoffs.

We’ll see further evidence of this in Week 12, when they take on the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving day. Mitchell Trubisky will continue to do his thing against a middle-of-the-road Detroit defense, and the ground game should get going as well. In the end, though, it’ll be the stifling Chicago D that gets the best of Matthew Stafford and the Lions’ inconsistent offense.

This one shouldn’t be a blowout. At the same time, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bears have it well in hand by the beginning of the fourth quarter. Stafford is just too mistake prone, and Chicago has thrived off of opponent’s miscues all year long.

Prediction: Bears win 27-18