Free Press sports writers predict the Detroit Lions vs. Carolina Panthers game Saturday (1 p.m. Fox) at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the Lions (7-7) are 2½-point favorites over the Panthers (5-9):
Shawn Windsor
The Panthers won three of four before losing to Pittsburgh at home last week. Like the Jets, the Panthers are physical and consistently competitive. But as the Lions showed against New York, they are learning how to win games against teams like this on the road, and learning to make the couple plays that make the difference. They will need to better in the red zone, as they have been for most of this surge. And they will. The Dan Campbell express keeps rolling. Pick: Lions 23, Panthers 16
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Dave Birkett
Both the Lions and Panthers, amazingly, are in the playoff hunt after rough starts, but only one team looks like a legitimate contender. While Carolina’s postseason hopes have been propped up by playing in the worst division in football — the NFC South — the Lions have one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL and an emerging young defense. The Panthers are committed enough to run the ball to keep this game close early, but they don’t have the firepower to pull away from a Lions team that has done all the right things of late. Going on the road isn’t as daunting as it used to be for a Lions team that has won three straight away from Ford Field, and with a wild-card berth within reach, I don’t expect any let up Saturday. Pick: Lions 28, Panthers 17
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Rabin Sabin
Nothing can stop the Lions these days — not even Winter Storm Elliott. The Lions beat the weather on their way out of Detroit and will find a way to overcome their next foe, the Panthers. Ben Johnson will once again dial up some clever plays and quarterback Jared Goff will continue to execute them at a high level, generating enough production to outlast a Carolina team saddled with one of the NFL’s worst offenses. The playoff push picks up steam as Detroit moves above .500 in Week 16. Pick: Lions 27, Panthers 21