Andrew Wilsher
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Not much was expected of the Detroit Lions in 2021 when they traded away star quarterback Matthew Stafford and appointed Dan Campbell as head coach. And after going 3-13-1, some might say that those expectations were justified. However, the Lions showed plenty of promise in some games, springing a couple of upsets and pushing some good teams close. Now, after a strong draft and some free agency acquisitions, can Detroit continue their climb back towards a place in the postseason?
Detroit Lions breakdown
2021 record: 3-13-1
2021 ATS record: 11-6
2021 O/U record: 7-10
Key players in: D.J. Chark (WR), Garrett Griffin (TE), Isaiah Buggs (DL)
Key players out: KhaDarel Hodge (WR), Nick Williams (DT), Trey Flowers (LB)
2022 Draft class: Aidan Hutchinson (DE), Jameson Williams (WR), Josh Paschal (DE), Kerby Joseph (S), James Mitchell (TE), Malcolm Rodriguez (LB), James Houston IV (LB), Chase Lucas (CB)
Detroit Lions 2022 NFL season odds
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Detroit Lions Super Bowl Odds
The Lions are currently available at +15000 odds to win Super Bowl 57 with DraftKings Sportsbook, which is tied-3rd for the biggest odds in the NFL alongside the Seahawks and the Bears. Only the Falcons and Texans have bigger odds.
Detroit Lions NFC Championship Odds
The Lions are +6000 to win the NFC, ahead of the Panthers, Bears, Seahawks and Falcons in the betting.
Detroit Lions NFC North Odds
Unsurprisingly, the Lions are +1000 to win the NFC North behind the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, who are available at -190 and +265 respectively. Detroit is however ahead of the Bears, who are +1400 odds.
Detroit Lions win total odds
The Lions’ win total line is set at 6.5 games for the 2022 NFL season. If you like them to win 7 games or more, you can bet that at -115 odds with DraftKings Sportsbook. If you believe they’ll win 6 games or fewer, then that is available at -105 odds. The Lions are +400 to make the playoffs and -550 to miss the playoffs this season.
Head to our NFL Odds page for odds on all the main NFL betting markets
Detroit Lions Schedule 2022
vs Philadelphia Eagles, September 11
vs Washington Commanders, September 18
at Minnesota Vikings, September 25
vs Seattle Seahawks, October 2
at New England Patriots, October 9
BYE
at Dallas Cowboys, October 23
vs Miami Dolphins, October 30
vs Green Bay Packers, November 6
at Chicago Bears, November 13
at New York Giants, November 20
vs Buffalo Bills, November 24
vs Jacksonville Jaguars, December 4
vs Minnesota Vikings, December 11
at New York Jets, December 18
at Carolina Panthers, December 24
vs Chicago Bears, January 1
at Green Bay Packers, January 7/8
We’ll have NFL picks for EVERY matchup of the 2022 season
Detroit Lions 2021 season recap
The Lions finished with a 3-13-1 record last season and wound up with the 2nd-worst record in the NFL behind the Jacksonville Jaguars. That wasn’t entirely surprising, as the Lions traded away star quarterback Matthew Stafford and got rid of a host of other key pieces to their team. As a result, their offense was lackluster at best as Jared Goff struggled to get things going and the team lacked any real strength at receiver. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Quintez Cephus showed some potential, but nothing that’s overly exciting.
Detroit did however stay close in some games and that is highlighted by their 11-6 ATS record last season. Overall, 3-13-1 was a little harsh on how Dan Campbell’s team actually performed in 2021, but there wasn’t a lot about the team to say that they could be this season’s Cincinnati Bengals.
Read our Super Bowl 57 predictions and best bets, including a +4500 longshot
Detroit Lions 2022 NFL season predictions
Overall, the Lions should improve this season. For starters, getting to play a weak Bears team twice is a major plus, but also on their schedule are the Seahawks, Giants, Jaguars, Jets and Panthers. There are plenty of winnable games for Campbell’s team this year and although making it to the playoffs seems like a longshot, improving on last season is certainly realistic. D’Andre Swift should carry the load out of the backfield and Jameson Williams will be an exciting prospect at wideout. On the defensive side of the ball, Detroit can build off last year’s solid effort with 2nd overall pick Aidan Hutchinson leading the D-line.
There are reasons to be optimistic about this Lions team with a soft schedule, but it’s worth noting that those “weaker” teams will be eyeing up Detroit in exactly the same way.
Best bet: Detroit Lions under 6.5 wins (-105)
Although I expect the Lions to be better this season than they were last, I think it’s a big ask for them to win at least 7 games. While the teams mentioned above amount to 7 and are all winnable, it’s still hard to see Detroit actually winning all of those games. And beyond those matchups, they have to take on the Packers twice, the Bills and Eagles at home along with the Cowboys and Patriots on the road, all of which look set to be strong teams this year. The Lions will need a lot to go their way this season if they are to finish 7-10 or better, and it’s surprising to see that over 6.5 wins is actually favored. All things considered, take the under on this one.
Detroit Lions season record predictions
As mentioned, I do believe the Lions will improve this season but not to the point others expect them too. Their offense still has a lot of questions to answer and they have some tough games on their schedule. Their season record prediction is for them to finish 5-12.
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