Matthew Stafford is gone. A new coach and a new general manager are place. Yeah, it’s fair to expect that the Detroit Lions’ win total in 2021 will be low.
… But this low?
The NFL franchise without a Super Bowl appearance and in search of its first division title since 1993 is likely to be waiting at least one more year. That’s certainly the takeaway from the spring NFL wins totals lists dropped by the majority of Michigan online sportsbooks this week.
Detroit Lions among NFL’s lowest win totals
We won’t sugarcoat this outlook. The Lions under new head coach Dan Campbell and new-arriving quarterback Jared Goff are projected to be bad.
Here are the latest market projection as of Friday afternoon on the Lions’ season totals.
DraftKings Sportsbook: Over/Under 5 wins; over +100, under -121
FanDuel Sportsbook: No victories totals, but +2700 to win the NFC North
BetMGM Sportsbook: O/U 5 wins (-110 odds for each); -900 to miss playoffs, +600 to make playoffs
PointsBet Sportsbook: O/U 5 wins; over +100, under -120
William Hill Sportsbook: O/U 5 wins; over -140, under +120
Fox Bet Sportsbook: O/U 5.5 wins; over, +135, under -175
Just how bad could it be for Jared Goff & Co.?
The piling-on shall be kept to a minimum here, but you get the idea. For perspective, among all 32 NFL teams listed at DraftKings, the Lions have the second-lowest market win total. Only the Houston Texans (at 4.5 wins) are at a lower benchmark.
At PointsBet, the story is similar, with the Lions in that second-worst position and the Texans at a 4.5-win setting, too.
Remember, too, that these figures are even based on an extra regular-season game this year. For the first time, the NFL will be operating on a 17-game schedule.
So the Detroit Lions’ win total of five this season means a projected 5-12 mark. Sigh.
Lock into the NFL Draft
Clearly, the oddsmakers think the Lions have a lot of work to do to reach competitive respectability. The first step in the latest rebuild comes through the NFL Draft, which begins April 29.
With a boatload of quarterbacks expected to be chosen with early selections, the Lions at pick No. 7 could be in a position to trade back and stock up on picks this spring or for future choices. This possibility coincides with the Lions’ desire for a top-flight receiver after the departure of Kenny Golladay, and the original No. 7 slot could be considered a reach for that position.
For more NFL Draft preview coverage, check out Drew Ellis’ report for us here. And check those win totals again in a few weeks once all the draft dust settles.
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