The Detroit Lions finished last season with a 12-5 record, marking their most wins since 1991. They also made their first playoff appearance since 2016, defeating the Buccaneers and Rams before being eliminated by the 49ers in the Conference Championship.
Detroit will be looking to build off this success in 2024. The organization has kept the same core intact. They handed offseason extensions to quarterback Jared Goff, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and right tackle Penei Sewell.
As a team, the Lions enter this season with the 4th-best odds to win it all at +1200 on DraftKings Sportsbook. They have the 2nd-best odds to win the NFC at +550 and hold +130 odds to win the NFC North. Detroit’s season-long win total is 10.5 games, with the over favored at -135 odds.
Lions to Win the NFC North (+130)
The NFC North will be among the tightest divisional battles in the NFL. The Packers (+230) and Bears (+280) are both young teams that we project to take a significant leap this year.
Don’t let this scare you from continuing to back the Lions.
Detroit is coming off an extremely successful year, and has done an impressive job building up its core while adding young talent around it. Sam LaPorta will look to take another leap after 889 yards receiving and ten touchdowns as a rookie. Jahmyr Gibbs will also seek expanded opportunity after 1261 yards from scrimmage and 11 total touchdowns in his rookie year. These two finished ranked third and fourth in offensive Rookie of the Year last season
. Two-time Pro Bowl WR Amon-Ra St. Brown is also just 24 and entering his 4th NFL season- showing improvement each year.
Dan Cambell has built this team up the right way, and he will have them ready to go again this season. They have taken a stride forward each year; expect them to remain in the playoff mix again this season.
Last season the team ranked third in total scoring, fifth in total yards, and eighth in score percentage. While their defense struggled a bit down the stretch to minimize their statistical impact, it gave them a chance to win on a week-by-week basis in a way that has not always been the case.
With Jordan Love and Caleb Williams combining for a total of 18 starts at the NFL level heading into this year, there should be a level of uncertainty concerning the rest of the NFC North. Yes—Love looked great down the stretch of last season. Yes—Williams is among the most highly-touted draft picks in recent memory. But both teams have more significant concerns around the QB and will need to make a notable leap if they are to compete with Detroit for the division.
There is a floor level of play with the Lions that is not the case with the other teams in the division. Don’t be scared of the hype surrounding the rest of the NFC North and expect Detroit to win the division for the second consecutive year.
Jared Goff Over 4050.5 Passing Yards
The 2021 swap between the Rams and Lions in which Jared Goff and Matt Stafford were flipped for each other will age as one of the most equally successful trades in professional sports. Los Angeles managed to get over the championship hump and win the 2022 Super Bowl with Stafford. While Goff has not reached these heights yet, the Lions still must be satisfied with his level of production.
The 29-year-old is coming off back-to-back seasons with 4,400+ yards passing and 29+ touchdowns through the air. Goff has grown more and more comfortable in the team’s offense and production has directly translated to team success.
Dating back to his first five seasons with the Rams, Goff has still showcased this level of ariel impact. The former number-one overall pick has eclipsed 4,050.5 yards through the air in four of his seven years as a primary starting quarterback.
With high-level weapons around him and the talent to get the job done, count on Goff to clear this number again this season. The passing game will continue to be the center of the Lions’ identity as a team and the primary weapon they lean on for success. Expect Goff to comfortably clear this passing total and for him to have plenty of opportunity to do so.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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