Now that the schedule is out, let’s dive into each NFC North matchup for the Detroit Lions in 2025.
The Detroit Lions 2025 schedule is set in stone, and that means it’s time to dive into game-by-game predictions. We can always do that before the schedule’s out, but it’s hit or miss. Playing in Lambeau in Week 1 and Week 18 are two very different situations with potentially opposite outcomes. Let’s take a look at this year’s matchups in the NFC North.
Question of the day: How many divisional games will the Lions win in 2025?
The first thing that jumps out from the schedule is the season opener on September 7 in Green Bay. Playing in Lambeau in September is such a fun aesthetic and bodes well for Detroit. While Jared Goff dispelled the cold-weather concerns in 2024, it doesn’t change the fact that the Lions play indoors week in and week out, so avoiding a late-season Lambeau matchup is a good thing.
The Lions then host the Packers on Thanksgiving in front of a national audience, which should be a lucrative matchup with strong playoff implications. Both teams will be coming off of Sunday 1 p.m. ET home games, so there’s not much to read into there.
The Lions host Minnesota in Week 9, and travel to Minnesota to play them on Christmas Day (Week 17). Nothing to note here.
The Bears are on opposite ends of the Lions schedule, with the Lions hosting Chicago in Week 2 and then traveling to Chicago to close out the season in Week 18. This is an interesting one—for starters, the Bears could very well remain bad this year, which makes it a strange choice by the league for a season finale matchup against the Lions. Also of note, the Lions will be coming off their Christmas day matchup with the Vikings which is on a Thursday, while the Bears will be coming off a Sunday Night Football matchup against the 49ers . That means the Lions will have an extra three days of rest coming into Week 18.
Overall, one thing stands out to me, and that’s how far apart each divisional matchup is. Things have shifted a lot since 2023, when the Lions played the Bears three weeks apart the Vikings two weeks apart. This year, the Lions play the Packers 12 weeks apart, the Vikings eight weeks apart, and the Bears 16 weeks apart. That eliminates a lot of the familiarity you get from playing an opponent the first time. Neither team can make rapid tweaks based on the previous game and catch the other by surprise—by the time these divisional rivals meet again, each team will have changed considerably. That should especially be the case for the Bears under a first-year head coach in Ben Johnson, as well as the Vikings as they usher in a new quarterback.
My answer: Now, as far as each game goes. I think the Lions open the season with a win against the Packers. Then, the Week 2 season opener will be another win for Detroit against a Chicago team that’ll probably still be ironing out kinks. I’ll also give the Lions a Week 9 win against the Vikings since Detroit will be coming off of a bye week.
The back half of the Lions season is an absolute gauntlet, and I think the Packers will sneak away with a win in Detroit on Thanksgiving. Turkey time may be bitter this year. I think the Lions will narrowly take the second game against the Vikings on Christmas. Then, the Lions close the season at Soldier Field. I think this will be very close, as Ben Johnson will want a win against his old team and should have his ducks in a row by Week 18. If the teams were playing on equal footing, I’d give the Bears the edge. However, with the Lions getting an extra two days of rest, I think it gives them just enough to get past Chicago and head into the playoffs on a positive note.
When it’s all said and done, I have the Lions at 5-1 in divisional games in 2025. But with a quarterback change in Minnesota, a coaching change in Chicago, and so much to be determined throughout the season, it’s anyone’s guess what happens. What’s your guess? Vote below and let us know your thoughts in the comments.