The rivalry between the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions dates back to when the latter franchise joined the NFL as the Portsmouth Spartans in 1930, and the former leads the all-time series with a 103-75-5 record. The Bears also have had the advantage on Thanksgiving Day, winning 10 of the 18 meetings between the NFC North adversaries on the holiday. Chicago (3-7) will try to improve its marks on Thursday when they visit winless Detroit (0-9-1) on NFL Thanksgiving Day for the third time in four years. One of the Bears' three victories this season came against the Lions, a 24-14 triumph at home in Week 4.

Kickoff from Ford Field is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET. Chicago is a three-point favorite in the latest Lions vs. Bears odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 41.5. Before locking in any Bears vs. Lions picks or NFL predictions, make sure you see what SportsLine's resident Lions expert, R.J. White, has to say.

White, a CBS Sports fantasy and gambling editor, ended the 2020 season on an 80-59 run on all NFL picks, returning more than $1,400 during that span. It's no surprise, as White has cashed huge twice in the world's most prestigious football handicapping competition, the Las Vegas SuperContest.

In addition, White has gone an amazing 43-23-2 on his last 68 picks involving Detroit, returning over $1,700. Anyone who has followed him is way up.

Now, White has locked in on Bears vs. Lions from every angle and released a confident against-the-spread pick. You can visit SportsLine now to see it. Here are several NFL lines and trends for Lions vs. Bears:

  • Lions vs. Bears spread: Chicago -3
  • Lions vs. Bears over-under: 41.5 points
  • Lions vs. Bears money line: Chicago -160, Detroit +140
  • CHI: Bears are 5-2 against the spread in their last seven meetings with Detroit
  • DET: Lions are 3-14 ATS in their last 17 games during Week 12

Why the Bears can cover

Defense has long been the strength of the Bears, and this season is no different. Chicago is 11th in the NFL in total defense (343.9 yards) and has done especially well against the run, ranking sixth with an average of 132.1 yards allowed. The club also has been excellent at getting to the opposing quarterback and leads the league with 31 sacks.

Robert Quinn has been Chicago's top pass-rusher with 10 sacks, tied for fifth in the league. The 11-year veteran, who notched 3.5 sacks in the Bears' 16-13 loss to Baltimore on Sunday, has reached double-digits for the fifth time in his career but only the second in the last seven years. Fellow linebacker Roquan Smith recorded 17 tackles against the Ravens and is tied for third in the NFL with 110 on the season.

Why the Lions can cover

Detroit may be 27th in the NFL in total defense (376.7 yards) and rank 30th in points allowed (27.3), but it has played much better since returning from its bye week. The Lions limited Pittsburgh to 16 points in their tie in Week 10, forcing the Steelers to commit two of their three total turnovers in overtime, and held Cleveland to 13 in their three-point loss on Sunday. One of Detroit's top defensive performers this year has been cornerback Amani Oruwariye, who is tied for fourth in the league with four interceptions.

A fifth-round pick out of Penn State in the 2019 NFL Draft, the 25-year-old made a total of three picks in 25 games over his first two seasons with Detroit. Charles Harris has had the most success getting to opposing quarterbacks and leads the Lions with a career-high four sacks. The 26-year-old linebacker notched three with Atlanta last season after registering 3.5 over three years with Miami.

How to make Bears vs. Lions picks

For Thursday's 2021 Thanksgiving Day NFL contest, White is leaning Under the total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. He's sharing it only at SportsLine.

So who wins Bears vs. Lions on Thanksgiving Day? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Bears vs. Lions spread you should jump on, all from the NFL expert who's an amazing 43-23 on picks involving Detroit.