The Lions have two blue-chippers who can help the team return to playoff form this year. After all, it was only 2 years ago when this team made the postseason thanks to the exploits of WR Calvin Johnson and QB Matt Stafford. Last year, Johnson broke the NFL single-season receiving record with 1,964 yards, conspiring with Stafford, a Pro Bowl QB who passed for 4967 yards (4th in the league) and had 435 completions (3rd).
The Lions did have one of the worst W-L records in football last season with just 4 wins and 12 losses and their record against the spread wasn’t too pretty either going 6-10 ATS. However, Detroit did address some of their weaknesses in the offseason. They used their 5th overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft on Brigham Young defensive end Ziggy Ansah, who is an intriguing prospect because the combination of his size, length and foot speed. Probably more intriguing is the fact that he’ll be plugged in the frontline alongside Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley—the top defensive anchors for this Lions squad.
The Lions’ Super Bowl 2014 odds of winning are priced at +4000 and +700 to win the NFC North, a division they share with the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears– all of which had a record of above 0.500 last year. With an improved defensive line and the retention of the key players from the 2011 playoff run, Detroit has a chance to make this a four-team race for the division crown.
Key Betting matchups of 2013 NFL Season:
Week 4 and Week 10 vs. Chicago Bears: The Lions have played their rivals in close games in the last 6 meetings going 4-1-1 ATS.
Detroit Lions bettors should pay attention to:
– Ziggy Ansah the 5th pick overall in the NFL Draft and will start at DE for the Lions.
