Before the start of the NFL season, the Lions were +145 at FanDuel to win the NFC North. Then they went on the road and beat the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs 21-20 in last Thursday’s opening game. Their odds to win the NFC North are now at -110 at BetMGM.
To win the NFC conference title? Pre-season, +1100 at DraftKings. Today, they’re +800 at DraftKings.
As for winning their first Super Bowl in February, the Lions opened at +2500 at BetRivers. But after beating the defending Super Bowl champion on the road in a nationally televised game, they’re down to +1800 at FanDuel.
And the architect of it all, Dan Campbell, is still the favorite to win Coach of the Year, but his odds have fallen to +800 at BetRivers after opening at +1200 (though FanDuel still has him at +950).
All told, the Lions immediately upset the sports betting apple cart with their victory.
Battle against Seattle
This week, the team heads home to a sure-to-be raucous Ford Field to take on the Seattle Seahawks.
The Lions were field goal favorites after their victory Thursday night; they’re now 5.5 point favorites at -108 at DraftKings. On the moneyline, the Lions are a robust -205 at Caesars Sportsbook, and the total for the game is set at 47, with Caesars having it at -110 on either side.
One reason for the line movement, besides America falling in love with the Lions, is that the Seahawks lost starting offensive tackles Abraham Lucas and Charles Cross to injuries. Their status for Sunday is unclear, but it’s worth noting Seattle went out and signed 41-year-old Jason Peters to help fill the void.
One potentially actionable nugget for this game: This is the third time in as many years that these two teams have squared off. Last year, the Seahawks beat the Lions 48-45 at Ford Field, and the year before the Hawks walloped Detroit in Seattle by a score of 51-29. Clearly, offense led the way in both games.
Also notable: After the injuries to the linemen, the Seahawks completely fell apart on offense in their 30-13 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1. They had 12 yards of offense in the second half, nine of which occurred on a meaningless last-play handoff.
On the player prop side, Jared Goff’s passing yardage is pegged 266.5, with -115 either way at DraftKings. Goff’s touchdown prop is at 1.5, with heavy juice on the over at -163 at Caesars.
Goff’s top receiving option, Amon-Ra St. Brown, has his yardage prop set at 77.5, with -115 on the over at DraftKings. Rookie tight end Sam LaPorta’s yardage prop is at 34.5, with -110 on the over at BetMGM.
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