ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions did themselves a major favor by beating the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night.

And now, Detroit’s path forward is a little clearer after the first of two matchups between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. With the Lions resting at home on Sunday, the Packers snapped Chicago’s five-game winning streak to take over first place in the NFC North. Green Bay beat the Bears, 28-21, in Week 14.

The New York Times reports Detroit’s playoff odds are 44% after Green Bay’s win. Had Chicago won that game, its chances would have dipped to 40%.

So, what does that mean moving forward to improve those odds? Well, it means Lions fans should be rooting for the Packers to sweep the Bears and beat them again in two weeks. Since the Lions got swept by the Packers, the

See Full Page