49ers vs. Lions: Previewing Week 16 for San Francisco

Can the 49ers pull off an upset over the Lions in Detroit? Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

Game Information

The 49ers and Lions kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Fox.

The weather won’t be a factor inside Ford Field, but Vegas odds certainly aren’t pointing in San Francisco’s favor. According to Odds Shark, the 49ers are currently listed as 10.5- point underdogs.

And it’s not hard to see why given the Niners’ problems away from home and in general.

Can the 49ers pull off the upset?

Sure. Anything is possible. The ball isn’t round and, despite the Lions playing better football as of late, Detroit has endured its own combination of inconsistencies, underwhelming performances and setbacks over the course of 2015.

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Yet the 49ers aren’t in a position to take anything lightly or overlook a substandard team. Week 14 in Cleveland already revealed that.

For the 49ers to pull off a victory, their game plan will have to be aggressive enough to take advantage of a suspect Lions defense. And San Francisco’s own defense will need to ensure Detroit doesn’t gouge its efforts against the run as was the case versus the Browns.

The 49ers haven’t been particularly good or consistent in either area, which makes this game problematic in terms of the Niners’ victory prospects.

So a 4-11 standing at the end of Week 16 seems likely.

Hey, at least it nets a higher draft pick, right?

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All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.