It is a loaded Saturday of NFL Preseason action with 10 games taking place across the day. With the opening kickoff scheduled for 12:00 p.m. ET, the Washington Commanders will face off with the Detroit Lions.
This is the second preseason matchup for both sides this season. The Commanders are looking to build off of a 20-7 victory over the Miami Dolphins in their preseason opener, while the Lions dropped their first preseason game 16-14 at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Looking at the odds for this preseason matchup, the Lions enter as 1.5-point favorites and hold -130 odds of winning outright on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Commanders hold +110 odds of pulling off the upset with the game total set at 36.5 points.
Commanders vs. Lions prediction, pick
Washington Commanders preview
The Washington Commanders tallied a 20-7 victory in their preseason opener, in which they scored 20 unanswered points against the Miami Dolphins. Marcus Mariota got the start under center, but completed just one of his two pass attempts for 22 yards before leaving with a sprained MCL. Mariota is expected to miss the remainder of the preseason, but be available for Week 1 if the situation would call for it. Jayden Daniels did not touch the field in the preseason opener.
Former Notre Dame standout Sam Hartman took over following Mariota’s absence, completing eight of his 15 pass attempts for 80 yards and an interception. He also added 13 rushing yards. Seventh-round pick Athan Kaliakmanis also took snaps, completing six of his 10 pass attempts for 87 yards. Former Penn State standout Kaytron Allen made his impact felt, taking his 23 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown. Undrafted rookie Robert Henry Jr. also made a strong impression with 75 rushing yards and a touchdown of his own.
The outlook will be a little different heading into the second preseason matchup. Head coach Dan Quinn told reporters that many of the starters held out of Week 1 will take the field this week. Daniels’ status remains uncertain, and Quinn mentioned that the status of the offensive line will play a role in the decision. Daniels has gotten some strong praise throughout training camp, but there are still plenty of questions about the offensive line and wide receiver positions around him. Expect more of the starting unit to take the field for the Commanders, but for this to occur on a limited basis and plenty of key names to remain sidelined.
Detroit Lions preview
The Detroit Lions dropped their opening matchup to the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 16-14. All notable starters were sidelined in this matchup as the organization put more of a focus on evaluation. Former Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer took the majority of the snaps at quarterback, completing 13 of his 22 pass attempts for 130 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Recent free agent addition Joshua Dobbs also took some snaps, completing four of his eight pass attempts for 32 yards and adding a nine-yard rushing gain. Dobbs was a late addition following the announcement from Teddy Bridgewater that he would be retiring.
Heading into the second preseason matchup, the Lions plan on leaning on their starters at a more expanded rate. This does not include quarterback Jared Goff, who has not played in the preseason since 2022, but head coach Dan Campbell announced that Dobbs will get the start for this matchup. He is expected to play about an equal split of the matchup after Dobbs has gained a better understanding of the playbook with more time in Detroit. Campbell made it clear the competition for the backup quarterback spot is still underway.
There are a few other key positional battles to note outside of the quarterback spot as well. Plenty of eyes will be on OT Blake Miller, as the 17th-overall pick is hoped to help cement the offensive line this season. Edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein also has gained plenty of hype in training camp. Hassanein saw his season end last year in preseason due to injury, and he will look to prove why he can play a major role on this team. Expect a bit more focus on getting the starters involved in the early portion of this matchup, before the deeper roster battles ensure in the second half.
Commanders vs. Lions best bet
Neither Dan Quinn nor Dan Campbell has been one to prioritize the results of preseason across their head coaching tenure. Across his 28 preseason games as a head coach, teams under Quinn are 8-20 straight up and 8-19-1 against the spread in preseason. Campbell is not much better, with a 6-11 straight up record and 8-9 against the spread record in preseason.
My lean is toward the Commanders taking this matchup a bit more seriously and getting their second preseason win of the season. If Daniels is to see the field for a series or even slightly more, it could put the team in the driver’s seat for this matchup. But even without this, Washington did an excellent job committing to the run game behind Allen and Henry Jr.
However, I am backing the game total to remain under the 36.5 line in this matchup. Neither of these teams moved the ball particularly well in their preseason opener, and there are some legitimate questions about the backup quarterback battle. The game total finished at 30 for the Lions’ preseason opener and 27 in the Commanders’ opening matchup. It took until the fourth quarter for the Lions to score their first touchdown, and four drives for the Commanders to put one in the end zone. Washington was just 1-for-3 in the red zone, while Detroit never even made it inside the 20.
Expect both sides to continue leaning on a bland playbook and for each defense to have just as much to prove in this game. Both these coaches have struggled greatly in the preseason, and I am not expecting either offense to shine. Count on points being difficult to come by and for even two touchdowns to be a lofty goal for both offenses.
