It’s been five seasons since the Detroit Lions reached the NFL’s postseason, with the franchise facing extremely long odds of doing so in the year ahead.
Detroit is coming off four consecutive losing seasons and hasn’t finished better than last in the NFC North since they made the NFC Wild Card round as a 9-7 team in 2016.
Since then, coach Dan Campbell and his predecessors Matt Patricia and Jim Caldwell have posted a combined record of 17-46-2 — with Campbell going 3-13-1 during his first season in the Motor City.
Lions Among Championship Odds Cellar-Dwellers
Michigan online sportsbook apps paint a dire picture for the Lions in 2022 as well, giving Detroit some of the longest championship odds of any NFL franchise a day after Super Bowl LVI wrapped up.
The Lions’ best Super Bowl odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook Michigan, TwinSpires Sportsbook Michigan, and Unibet Michigan — all of which list Detroit at +10000 to win Super Bowl LVII.
Detroit ranks in a tie for 29th on the latter two NFL betting sites, alongside the New York Jets and Jacksonville. Only the Houston Texans (+12500) have worse odds.
The franchise’s championship odds are even lower on BetMGM Michigan and Caesars Sportsbook Michigan, both of which list the Lions at +15000 to win the team’s first Super Bowl.
The Lions are in a tie for last, along with the Jets and Houston on both sites, giving fans little reason to leap into the new year.
Storylines to Watch This Offseason
A major storyline to keep an eye on if you’re a Lions fan is who the franchise will take with the second overall pick in April’s NFL Draft.
The spectacle will take place in Nevada from April 28-30, with ESPN, ABC, and the NFL Network all showing the event live.
FanDuel Sportsbook is allowing Michigan sports betting fans to place bets on who will be the first quarterback taken in the draft, which could be of interest to Lions backers given the play of Jared Goff in 2021.
On the site, fans can get former Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett for +175, followed by Liberty’s Malik Willis (+200), UNC’s Sam Howell (+400), and Ole Miss QB Matt Corral (+500).
BetMGM lists Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (+165), Alabama offensive lineman Evan Neal (+175) and Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux (+350) with the best odds of being taken as the No. 1 pick, which is currently held by Jacksonville.
Aside from the draft, the Lions must decide whether to make offers to their 13 unrestricted free agents, including LB Alex Anzalone, QB Tim Boyle, T Tyrell Crosby, LB Shaun Dion Hamilton, OLB Charles Harris, WRs Kalif Raymond and KhaDarel Hodge, S Dean Marlowe, and LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin.
According to Spoctrac, the Lions have just over $21 million in salary cap space to use this offseason. One way or another, the Lions will need to undergo a serious roster renovation to contend for a Super Bowl anytime soon.
