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The two-time defending NFC North champion Detroit Lions head to Lambeau Field to face off against the rival Green Bay Packers in what has become one of Week 1's marquee matchups.

Green Bay stunned the entire NFL by acquiring All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. Parsons will help the Packers defense do battle against a Lions offense that led the league in scoring offense (33.2 points per game, best in franchise history). However, Detroit will be working through some changes too with both offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, now the coach of the Chicago Bears, and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, now the coach of the New York Jets, no longer on the Lions' sideline. 

Let's dig into this matchup and predict a winner ahead of Sunday afternoon's NFC North showdown.

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Where to watch Lions vs. Packers

When the Lions have the ball

Parsons teams up with a Packers defense that produced a top 10 scoring unit (19.9 points per game allowed, sixth in NFL) in its first season under defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley in 2024. The 26-year-old, who leads the NFL in quarterback pressure rate (20.3%, minimum 1,000 pass rushes), co-leads the league in quarterback pressures (330, tied with Maxx Crosby) and has 12 or more sacks in each of his first four seasons, is the NFL's best at getting after the quarterback.

Fortunately for Detroit quarterback Jared Goff, he has one of the better offensive lines in the NFL led by two-time first-team All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell. According to CBS Sports Research, Sewell is the only offensive tackle to start every game and allow one or fewer sacks across each of the last two years. He's allowed just two sacks, one each year, on 1,242 pass-blocking snaps.

Parsons and Packers Pro Bowl edge rusher Rashan Gary will look to wreak havoc on Goff and Co. all afternoon long, but in order to do that on clear passing downs, they'll need to slow down the NFL's most productive running duo: Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. They're the first duo in NFL history with 10 or more rushing touchdowns each in consecutive seasons.

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Key players are healthy. The Lions will welcome back a healthy Aidan Hutchinson, their Pro Bowl edge rusher who led the NFL in sacks (7.5) and quarterback pressures (45) through Week 6 (when he broke his tibia and fibula). The Packers will also look to keep quarterback Jordan Love healthy throughout 2025: he suffered a sprained MCL in Week 1 last season that he was never quite able to fully recover. Love also underwent left thumb surgery in August, but he has fully practiced all week this week.

Packers get offensive. Green Bay drafted a wide receiver in the first round for the first time since 2022 by selecting Texas' Matthew Golden 23rd overall in April. The Packers hope Golden can help create more big plays downfield because those have been lacking from Green Bay receivers in Love's first two seasons as Aaron Rodgers' successor. Love averages 8.0 yards per pass attempt to wide receivers, 21st in the NFL since 2023 and 7.3 yards per pass attempt to running backs and tight ends, fourth in the NFL across the last two seasons. Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs will also certainly factor into the game plan heavily: his 1,329 yards rushing were the most by a Packer since Ahman Green in 2003, and his 15 rushing touchdowns were tied for the third-most in a season in Green Bay history.

The Parsons Effect. Parsons teams up with a Packers defense that produced a top 10 scoring unit (19.9 points per game allowed, sixth in NFL) in its first season under defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley in 2024. The 26-year-old, who leads the NFL in quarterback pressure rate (20.3%, minimum 1,000 pass rushes), co-leads the league in quarterback pressures (330, tied with Maxx Crosby) and has 12 or more sacks in each of his first four seasons, is the NFL's best at getting after the quarterback.

Parsons and Packers Pro Bowl edge rusher Rashan Gary will look to wreak havoc on Goff and Co. all afternoon long, but in order to do that on clear passing downs, they'll need to slow down the NFL's most productive running duo: Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. They're the first duo in NFL history with 10 or more rushing touchdowns each in consecutive seasons.

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Lions vs. Packers prediction, pick

Yes, the Lions have won three consecutive games against the Packers at Lambeau Field and six of the last seven meetings overall. However, their coordinator departures and the addition of Parsons will be too much for Detroit to handle in Week 1 as Green Bay kicks off the 2025 season with an early edge in the NFC North standings. 

Pick: Packers 27, Lions 23 | Packers -2.5