Love tied his career-high for TD tosses and added in a game-sealing fourth-down pass to Dontayvion Wicks with 1:55 remaining to give the Packers the Thanksgiving holiday triumph.
Love had connected with Wicks for the Packers' first TD on a fourth down early in the second quarter.
Love found Romeo Doubs for a fourth-down touchdown before halftime and after the break hit Christian Watson with a 51-yard scoring pass before finding Wicks with a one-yarder.
He completed 18 of 30 passes for 234 yards without an interception and the Packers improved to 8-3-1, second in the NFC North division behind the 8-3 Chicago Bears, who play the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on Friday.
"To be able to go out there on fourth down and execute, make some big-time plays (that's) the difference in that game right there," Love said.
"That's what it comes down to - just going out there executing those gotta have plays and we made plays tonight."
Detroit twice went for it on fourth down but failed to convert both times.
They had to settle for a field goal on their final possession after Green Bay's Micah Parsons sacked quarterback Jared Goff on third down.
Goff connected on 20 of 26 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns and David Montgomery ran for a TD, but the Lions -- winners of the NFC North the past two seasons - fell to 7-5.
They are third in the division and struggling to get back into the playoff picture.
Already missing three starters, the Lions also saw star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown exit in the first quarter with an ankle injury.
In other games on the Thanksgiving slate, the Dallas Cowboys host the Kansas City Chiefs and the AFC North leading Baltimore Ravens host division rivals Cincinnati Bengals.