If there’s a more frustrating team in the NFL than the Detroit Lions … well, there’s not. No point in engaging in this mental exercise.
Just when you think the team has righted the ship and is bound for glory, it heads to Soldier Field and gets manhandled by the Chicago Bears.
This week, the 9-4 Lions come home to face the all-of-a-sudden dangerous 7-6 Denver Broncos.
The Lions are 4-point favorites across Michigan’s sports betting apps, with all showing -110 odds. On the moneyline, FanDuel is offering the best odds (-195) by a significant margin, with most books at -220 or wider.
The books are also expecting some offense, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, with the total set at 47.5 across the board at -110. Lions games — especially those played in the dome at Ford Field — have had a tendency to hit the overs this year, doing so at a 66.7% clip.
Proper props
The game sets up very nicely on the offensive side of the ball for the home Lions to do what they want to do, which is run the ball.
Denver ranks 30th overall in team defense DVOA, per FTNfantasy.com. It has given up 5.1 yards per carry, good for last in the NFL. If ever there was a game that had “David Montgomery” written all over it, it would be this one. His best yardage prop can be found at BetMGM, where it’s at 67.5 at -115 on either side. His backfield partner, Jahmyr Gibbs, is at 50.5 yards at -114 on FanDuel each way.
Montgomery is -145 to score a touchdown at FanDuel, and Gibbs is at -120.
But as bad as the Broncos have been against running backs, they’re equally bad against tight ends, with the position ripping Denver for an 81/907/6 line so far this year. That’s the third most receptions and second most yards allowed. Enter Sam LaPorta. He’s +188 at Caesars Sportsbook to score a touchdown, and his receiving yardage prop is at 46.5 at -115 on either side at BetMGM while his over on receptions is juiced to -133 at 4.5 receptions at Caesars.
Jared Goff — who enjoys playing in the elements about as much as a fish loves land — is back home, and despite the Lions’ propensity to run the ball, the sportsbooks still like Goff to sling it a bit Saturday night. Caesars sets the over/under on Goff passing yards at 249.5 at -117 on either side.
Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
