Detroit Lions favored for first time since 2020 in Week 2 matchup with Washington Commanders

The Detroit Lions are the betting favorite to win their Week 2 matchup against the Washington Commanders at home this Sunday.

Caesars Sportsbook, the official odds partner of Bet Chicago Sports, currently has the Lions listed as a 1.5-point favorite as of Wednesday morning. They are priced at -130 to win the game outright, while the Commanders are +110 on the moneyline.

Just how rare is it for the Lions to be favored in a football game? Well, this is the first time they are favored since Week 11 of 2020. The Lions suffered a 20-0 loss to the Panthers in that game, for what it is worth. This week’s matchup could snap a record of 24-straight games as an underdog for the Lions, according to this tweet from Ben Fawkes of VSiN.

By now, it is no secret that I believe the market is a bit too high on the Lions. I recommended taking the Commanders on the spread in my picks column earlier this week, and I also bet them on the moneyline. My power ratings make the Commanders -0.5, so I could certainly see this game going either way.

But it is interesting to see how the betting odds have changed for this particular matchup.

Several sportsbooks released betting odds for every game during the summer, and the Commanders actually opened as a small favorite in this Week 2 battle. The lines were re-released on Sunday, in which the Lions opened as a 1-point favorite at Caesars Sportsbook before being bet up to 2.5 within 24 hours.

During the opening weekend, the Commanders jumped out to an early lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Carson Wentz did some, well, Carson Wentz things. He threw two interceptions, and the Commanders needed a 14-point effort in the fourth quarter to cover the 2.5-point spread in a 28-22 home win.

Scott Turner had the offense humming, as Wentz finished with four touchdowns and 313 yards during his debut with his new team. Rookie receiver Jahan Dotson scored twice, while running back Antonio Gibson netted seven catches for 72 yards. This is a unit that should have success against Detroit’s defense on Sunday.

The Lions, meanwhile, covered the spread in a somewhat misleading 38-35 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1. The game was never in doubt after the Eagles’ pick-six midway through the second quarter. All four of the Lions’ final touchdown drives came when the team was trailing by double digits.

There is reason to be optimistic about the Lions’ offense this year, of course. D’Andre Swift piled up 144 yards and a touchdown on 15 rushing attempts. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught eight balls for 64 yards and one score.

But Detroit’s defense still has a long way to go, which is probably why the betting odds are trending in Washington’s direction at this point in the week. And perhaps the Lions’ streak of being an underdog could continue by the time we get to kickoff on Sunday.