The Detroit Lions take a 4-game winning streak into Sunday's game against the New England Patriots at FC Bayern Munich Stadium, kickoff 9:30 a.m. ET on Fox. Both teams arrive with their leading playmakers listed as questionable: Amon-Ra St. Brown for Detroit with a rib injury, Rhamondre Stevenson for New England with a knee injury. Whoever has the healthier attack in Munich likely walks away with the win.

The Matchup

Records: New England Patriots 5-4 (road 2-3); Detroit Lions 6-2 (home 4-0, road 2-2)
Venue: FC Bayern Munich Stadium, Munich (neutral site)
Kickoff: Sunday, November 15, 9:30 a.m. ET
TV: Fox
Line (DraftKings): DET -3, O/U 49.5

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What Decides It

Detroit's streak is being carried by its defense, not its offense. The Lions opened the run with a 45-21 rout, but the last three wins finished 20-17, 19-15 and 19-9. Detroit scored 20 or fewer in each and still won because opponents never reached 18.

That is a different team from the season profile. The Lions average nearly 28 points a game and allow about 24, so the recent defensive stretch is well ahead of their full-season level. If that holds, New England has to win a low-scoring game.

Munich takes away Detroit's biggest advantage. The Lions are 4-0 at home and 2-2 on the road. This is a neutral site, so the unbeaten home record does not travel.

New England has the same problem in reverse. The Patriots are 3-1 at home and 2-3 away, and their last game was a 27-45 home loss.

St. Brown's ribs are the biggest question on the board. He leads Detroit with 61 catches for 657 yards and 5 touchdowns, and Jared Goff has thrown 15 touchdowns against 2 interceptions. If St. Brown is limited, the offense tilts toward Jahmyr Gibbs, who has 847 yards and 9 touchdowns on the ground.

That is not a bad fallback. Detroit runs for nearly 128 yards a game, comfortably above the roughly 97 New England allows. Sione Vaki (RB) is also questionable with an ankle injury, which could put even more of the ground game on Gibbs.

New England's backfield is thin, which puts the game on Drake Maye. Stevenson is questionable and TreVeyon Henderson is out with an illness. The Patriots run for nearly 120 yards a game, but Detroit allows only about 94.

The opening is through the air. Detroit gives up about 283 passing yards a game, more than New England allows, and cornerback D.J. Reed and safety Kerby Joseph are both out. Maye has 18 touchdown passes, but his 11 interceptions are the risk: Goff has protected the ball far better.

Players to Watch

Detroit Lions

Passing: Jared Goff – 185-273, 2134 YDS, 15-2 (TD-INT)
Rushing: Jahmyr Gibbs – 177 CAR, 847 YDS, 9 TD
Receiving: Amon-Ra St. Brown – 61 REC, 657 YDS, 5 TD

New England Patriots

Passing: Drake Maye – 178-272, 2282 YDS, 18-11 (TD-INT)
Rushing: Rhamondre Stevenson – 102 CAR, 399 YDS, 2 TD
Receiving: DeMario Douglas – 31 REC, 434 YDS, 4 TD

Injury Report

Detroit Lions

Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR): Questionable – Ribs
Sione Vaki (RB): Questionable – Ankle
Cade Mays (C): Out – Ankle
D.J. Reed (CB): Out – Hip
Kerby Joseph (S): Out – Knee

New England Patriots

Rhamondre Stevenson (RB): Questionable – Knee
A.J. Brown (WR): Questionable – Knee
Charles Woods (CB): Questionable – Hamstring
TreVeyon Henderson (RB): Out – Illness
Ben Brown (C): Out – Knee

Prediction

Detroit has the steadier quarterback and the healthier backfield, and Gibbs gives the Lions a way to win even if St. Brown is limited. New England can move the ball through a short-handed Detroit secondary, but Maye's interceptions are the difference. Lions 27, Patriots 23.