Nolan Bianchi, Richard Silva, John Niyo and Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News offer predictions for Sunday’s game between the Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers at Ford Field in Detroit (4:25 p.m., CBS/97.1 FM).

▶ Nolan Bianchi: With both teams in this contest sitting at 8-6, the Lions and Steelers appear to be, in some ways, equals. But the statistics tell a different story. Pittsburgh is a below-average team in just about every rushing and passing statistic (offense and defense), but has thrived by protecting the ball and taking it away from the opposition. The Lions don’t turn it over often, which should limit what this Steelers defense can do against them, and perhaps this is a get-right game for Kelvin Sheppard’s defense. I do worry about Detroit’s interior offensive line, which could be reshuffled once again, and the always-dangerous Aaron Rodgers. But I still think Detroit can — and will — win this game handily. Pick: Lions, 34-20

▶ John Niyo: Hang on. That’s the best advice for Lions fans bracing for a bumpy finish to the regular season. And that’s also the winning recipe against Pittsburgh, which has a playoff chase of its own to worry about. The Steelers are leading the AFC North partly because they’ve forced the fourth-most turnovers in the NFL. But the good news for the Lions is Pittsburgh likely will be without its top two pass rushers Sunday. So Jared Goff should have enough time to do some damage in the middle of the field, and the Lions should have more success on third down against a defense that struggles to get off the field. On the other side of the ball, it’s all about tackling. The Steelers lead the league in yards after catch, so hanging on there the key as well. Pick: Lions, 31-21.

▶ Richard Silva: The Lions need this and that to happen to make the playoffs, and if this other thing happens, they’ve got an unlikely shot at the division. Confused yet? If you are, I’d direct you to our rooting guide for Week 16. In all seriousness, the Lions need to focus on winning their remaining three contests, and that starts against a Steelers team that’s won two straight and is very much alive and well in the AFC’s playoff race. The Steelers are not better than the Lions, but they deploy a ton of 13 personnel (like the Los Angeles Rams did last week) and are tied for third in the NFL in takeaways, with 24. My keys to this one: Ball security, efficiency in the red zone and creating splash plays on defense, whether that’s turnovers forced or sacks. Pick: Lions, 35-28

▶ Bob Wojnowski: It’s time again for the Lions to invoke the never-lose-two-in-a-row clause they’ve carried the past three years. A loss likely would be fatal to their playoff chances, although the Steelers also are 8-6 and desperate. The Lions’ longtime boogeyman is still around, although at 42, Aaron Rodgers is far from his former self. Still dangerous? Well, anyone can be against the Lions’ banged-up secondary. The Steelers don’t run the ball well and aren’t explosive, but rank fifth in the league in sacks. More reason for the Lions to establish the ground game with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery and stick with it. Jared Goff generally is stellar coming off a loss, and perhaps the Lions are closer to figuring out their offensive line puzzle. The home crowd matters, and for all their inconsistencies, the Lions lead the league in scoring, as Jameson Williams has blossomed. Unless Rodgers and DK Metcalf go wild in the passing game, the Steelers don’t have enough offense to keep up. Pick: Lions, 30-21

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