Lions vs. Bears: Chicago expert picks Detroit to win

4. Who is one relatively unknown player that will surprise Lions fans on Thanksgiving?

MB: There shouldn’t be too many under the radar players since the Bears and Lions just faced off a minute ago, but I’ll give it a shot. When the Bears and Lions matched up in Week 10, Darius Slay missed the game. That created opportunities for Allen Robinson.

Since I’m expecting Slay to go on Thursday, that makes Robinson’s matchup a lot tougher. That will create an opportunity for speedster Taylor Gabriel. Gabriel was targeted 3 times with no catches in the last game, but with Robinson tied up, there could be a chance for Gabriel to shine.  Of course, if Mitch Trubisky can’t go, that could limit Gabriel’s impact.

5. What’s your prediction for the upcoming game and score?

MB: A lot of this depends on whether or not Trubisky goes on Thursday. For the sake of this answer, I’ll take the negative approach and assume the worst and that Trubisky sits this one out. The quick turnaround and missing their starting quarterback hurts the Bears.

They’re coming off a monster Sunday Night Football win over last season’s NFC North champs, the Minnesota Vikings. Can the Bears gain their focus and shift gears to move on to the Lions, who are at home and very familiar with the Thanksgiving game routine? This smells like a trap game for the Bears. The defense stands tall, but the offense sputters. Lions 19, Bears 16