2019 Detroit Lions Odds to win the Super Bowl with Expert Betting Predictions

The Detroit Lions are in an ugly place to be as a team right now. They are the fourth team in a three-team division. A forgotten squad trailing teams that seem to have things figured out and are all potentially dangerous. Every divisional game will be absolutely brutal for Detroit - and viewed as a likely win by their opponent. The good news for the Lions and their fans, though, is that it isn't like this is an unfamiliar spot for this organization. It is, more or less, who the team has been for decades. So, I guess, we should congratulate them on their consistency. Or something.

Detroit Lions Coaching

Matt Patricia has, at least so far, carried on the tradition of Bill Belichick assistants struggling in their transition to head coaches. He did get a win over his former team last year as they headed to another Super Bowl win, but the 6-10 season was largely a failure, and a second similar one would not be good for Patricia's job security. Too often, the stories around the team were about him and things he had done off the field. That's never good. Patricia made one big change to his staff this year. He had kept on Jim Bob Cooter as offensive coordinator when he was hired, but he fired him following last season and brought in Darrell Bevell, who had long run Seattle's offense before being fired after the 2017 season, to run the offense. It's a positive move - at least in the sense that a change was clearly needed.

Detroit Lions Quarterback Situation

Matthew Stafford has started every game for the Lions for the last eight years, and there is no reason to think that the streak won't continue if he stays healthy. He's one of those guys who is good enough to have a streak like that but seemingly not good enough to lead his team to particularly high heights - at least so far. They are in the process of shuffling his backup situation, though. Matt Cassel was the backup last year, but he is a free agent now. Instead, the team has brought in a group of journeymen, hoping someone stands out. David Fales has been with the Ravens, Bears and Dolphins without making an impact. Josh Johnson has made the Lions his 13th team in the league. And Tom Savage had nine very forgettable starts for the Texans. It's a bit of a sad group, really - but not one that will likely have Stafford looking nervously over his shoulder.

How The Detroit Lions Improved

For a guy who can throw like Stafford can, it was odd how little the team had embraced the role of the modern tight end. They just weren't any good at it. That should change now, though, as the team used the eighth overall pick on a tight end - T.J. Hockenson out of Iowa. They added another one late in the draft in Isaac Nauta out of Georgia, too. In the rest of the draft, they added five of seven defensive players and generally did well. They paid heavily for DE Trey Flowers in free agency, but Patricia knows him well and the defensive line needed help. And free agency for the most part was solid - especially given how unattractive the team is compared to others right now.

How The Detroit Lions Got Worse

Darius Slay is the best player in the secondary by a wide margin, but he is in a contract battle with the team. He has reported but isn't necessarily thrilled to be there. And while the team has added other guys to the secondary in free agency, they still likely haven't done enough to really shine.

Detroit Lions Schedule Analysis

The first six games are absolutely brutal for this team. They open at Kyler Murray and the Cardinals - without the benefit of any tape on a Kingsbury NFL offense. Then they host a very good Chargers team, go to Philadelphia, host the Chiefs, then after a bye they go to Green Bay and host Minnesota. They will very likely be an underdog in all six games, and 0-6 or 1-5 is definitely possible. That would be a huge hole for what is likely a fragile team.

2019-20 Detroit Lions Betting Odds and Trends

The Lions are at +6600 to win the Super Bowl. Needless to say, that is much closer to the bottom than the top of the league. They are tied with the Bucs for 12th to win the NFC, ahead of only Arizona and Washington. They are at +1000 to win the NFC North, which has them far behind the top three in the division, which are all in a virtual dead heat at this point. The season win total is at 7, with the "over" favored at -120. The Lions are at a massive +425 to make the playoffs, compared to -550 to miss them. They are +1000 to have the worst record in the league, and a much larger +12500 to have the best record. At +1800, Patricia is one of a group of guys tied as the eighth choice to be the first coach fired. He's one of five guys tied as the longest shot on the board at +5000 to be named coach of the year. Stafford is a long shot at +8000 to be named MVP, with Hockenson a mid-range contender for offensive rookie of the year at +2800. Stafford is very much in the middle of the pack in terms of quarterback odds, too - he's +3300 to lead the league in passing yards and interceptions, and +2800 in touchdowns. Being 33/1 in a league of 32 starting quarterbacks isn't hugely flattering. The receivers aren't particularly well viewed, either - Marvin Jones is at +5000 and Kenny Golladay at +6600 to lead the league in receiving touchdowns. Don't look at the running game to save them, either - at +3300, Kerryon Johnson ranks 29th in the league in the race to be tops in rushing touchdowns.

2019-20 Detroit Lions Predictions and NFL Picks

It's hard to be optimistic, and I don't get the season win total here at all. Given the tough schedule - particularly the really brutal division - I would find it really, really hard to justify anything but the under.

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