Bears vs. Lions Final Score Predictions: Can Ben Johnson get his revenge on Dan Campbell before leading Chicago into the playoffs?

Not much is at stake, but this is still a huge game in the NFC North to close the regular season.

Kole Noble, Mike Payton, Tyler Forness, Wendell Ferreira
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Sep 14, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson and Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell hug after the game at Ford Field.
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson and Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell hug after the game at Ford Field. Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

If you had said at the beginning of the season that only one team in the NFC North would be playing meaningful football in Week 18, a lot of people would be surprised. And when you add that team is the Chicago Bears, everyone would have been surprised. But, that’s the reality.

The Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions have already been eliminated from playoff contention and the Green Bay Packers are locked into the seventh seed entering the final week of the regular season. Meanwhile, at 11-5, the Bears are still battling for the second seed in the NFC and looking to end the season with some momentum after a disappointing loss in Week 17.

Chicago’s chance of doing that will come against the Lions, the team who decimated the Bears back in Week 2, but a lot has chanced for both teams since that game. Here is how our NFC North writers this game will go the second time around on Sunday.

Bears 42, Lions 24

Personally, I don’t see this one being close. Head coach Ben Johnson has been preaching that is doesn’t matter if you win, it matters how much you win by. This is the game Johnson will be looking to run up the score, just like the Lions did to Chicago back in Week 2.

The Bears are miles better as a team than they were in that game, especially on offense, and the Lions have some major weaknesses on both sides of the ball. Detroit’s offense can still find an explosive gear but that defense is truly hobbling to the finish. I see Chicago getting the better of Jared Goff, winning the turnover battle, and riding high into the playoffs with a massive win at home.

Kole Noble, A to Z Sports Chicago

Lions 35, Bears 28

Here’s what we know about the Bears’ defense. It’s not that good. Fifth in total yards allowed, 11th in points allowed, and 24th in defensive DVOA. But, they lead the league in getting turnovers. Don’t let the Christmas game fool you, the Lions went into that game with the fewest giveaways in the league. And they’re getting two starters back on their defensive line.

If the Lions play a clean game, they can beat this Bears team.

Mike Payton, A to Z Sports Detroit

Bears 27, Lions 24

The Lions still have a strong offense despite everything that went wrong this year, and the Bears’ defense is mediocre at best — it’s turnover or touchdown, for the most part. But while I don’t expect Dan Campbell’s team to quit, the Bears have much more to play for with the second seed on the table and the desire to enter the playoffs with more confidence.

Caleb Williams isn’t necessarily a consistent quarterback at this point of his career, but he’s an explosive quarterback extending plays, and the lack of pass rush from the Lions should be a big factor in this game.

Wendell Ferreira, A to Z Sports Green Bay

Bears 27, Lions 23

It’s no secret that this game doesn’t mean a whole lot for either team, as the Bears are locked into a home game in the wild card round and the Lions are ready for this season to end. It’s also big for another reason: the drive for 4,000 passing yards. It’s never happened in Chicago Bears franchise history.

Quarterback Caleb Williams needs 270 passing yards to achieve it, and that, along with getting Williams ready for the playoffs, will be the priorities for Sunday. The score will only matter for pride purposes, and the Bears are ready to get the win.

Tyler Forness, A to Z Sports Minnesota

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