Every season in the NFL, a dark horse team emerges to make a run that nobody sees coming. It is always fun to try and identify those teams before the season begins, as it can be a profitable venture for those who love to wager on sports. It is perhaps still too early to start picking surprise teams for this coming season, especially since we have yet to see the last of player movements before training camp begins. We will get to all of that in the coming weeks, but for now, we are going to focus on early looks at all the NFL teams, with the Detroit Lions the team we are focusing on in this piece. Let’s get right to it so you can continue planning your bets against their NFL odds.
NFL Betting – Detroit Lions Calendar Odds & Analysis For the 2021-22 Season
The Lions in 2020
No one expected very much from the Detroit Lions in 2020, so in that regard, they certainly delivered. This is a team that, since the retirement of Calvin Johnson, has slowly regressed with each passing season. This despite having arguably one of the best QB’s in the game. Matthew Stafford’s best years came in Detroit, but it will be a new era for him starting next season in LA after jumping ship following another poor season for the Lions in 2020.
The Lions finished last season at the bottom of the NFC North, putting together a 5-11 record, with just 1 of those wins coming at home. With that in mind, you would think that the only way for them to go is up, but they have moved on some of their best players and are now in the very early stages of what is a massive rebuilding effort.
Odds to Make the Playoffs and Win the Super Bowl
The biggest move that the Lions made this offseason was trading Matthew Stafford to the LA Rams and getting Jared Goff in return. While they certainly got younger at the QB position, you could argue that they didn’t get better. Goff will have protection from a decent O-line, but he will also be leading a team that has one of the toughest schedules in the league this season. They have the Ravens and Packers in among their opening 3 games this season, so they could potentially be in a hold early. You need only look at what the bookies think about the Lions chances of making the playoffs to get an idea of just hoe long this season might be:
There is a little bit of turmoil in the division this season, specifically with the Aaron Rodgers situation in Green Bay, as well as the Bears and Vikings looking to improve after coming off mediocre seasons. You would still expect the Packers to win this division going away, with the other 3 fighting it out for a potential Wild Card spot. The reality here is that I simply do not see the Lions being part of that battle for a variety of different reasons. We are realistically looking at a team that could win fewer games than it did last season.
The bookies seem to have more confidence in the Denver Broncos than I do at this moment, as they have them in at +2000 to win the Super Bowl, which puts them in dark horse territory.
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