It's officially Year 2 of the Dan Campbell rebuild with the Lions and there is suddenly a bit of optimism surrounding this team among bettors on Michigan sportsbooks.
After a strong draft class and a productive free-agent period, is this the year the Lions make a big leap and contend for a playoff spot in the NFC?
Let's look at the latest news and notes from offseason workouts in Detroit, along with the current odds for the Lions in the NFC North and in the conference.
Detroit Lions 2022 NFL Odds
- 2022-2023 Super Bowl: +12500
- NFC Championship: +6600
- NFC North: +900
- To Make Playoffs: +400
- Regular Season Wins: Over 6.5 (+105), Under 6.5 (-125)
Despite a solid offseason, the Lions are still one of the bigger underdogs in the NFC via BetMGM Michigan. Only the Falcons and Seahawks have worse odds of winning the conference than the Lions.
However, their win total is slightly up compared to last season, and it's not unreasonable to think the Lions could win seven or eight games in 2022.
We know this team isn't a Super Bowl contender yet, but things are slowly trending in the right direction for them to become a playoff contender by 2023 according to Michigan sports betting apps.
D’Andre Swift To See More Work In Passing Game
The best overall player on the offense for the Lions is running back D’Andre Swift.
In 13 games last season, he totaled 1,069 yards and seven touchdowns. He finished second on the team in receptions with 62, but the Lions are working on getting him the ball more often this season in the passing game.
Swift has added some muscle this year for the expected increased workload and the Lions have been working to find ways to get him more touches.
In 2021, Swift had 213 touches, but don't be surprised if that number inches closer to 250 this year as they look to get their best player the ball early and often.
Over at FanDuel Michigan, Swift is +10000 to win AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
Jameson Williams Not Expected To Be Ready For Camp
The Lions made a massive trade up for Williams in the 2022 NFL Draft, going from pick No. 32 to No. 12 to acquire the former Alabama speedster.
They did that knowing there was a good chance he wouldn’t be ready for Week 1 after tearing his ACL during the National Championship Game.
While the Lions are hopeful that he will be ready early in the season, he is not expected to practice when training camp opens up.
That means his Week 1 availability is in doubt, but the Lions already knew that when they drafted him. So don't expect to see Williams much in August or September, for him to be on the field by October or November, at the latest.
D.J. Chark Practices This Offseason
One of the reasons why the Lions don’t have to rush Williams back to the field is because of the addition of D.J. Chark.
The veteran receiver signed with the Lions this offseason despite missing most of the 2021 season with an ankle injury. However, he was cleared for offseason workouts and participated in OTAs and minicamps with the Lions.
Chark adds speed to the offense for the Lions and he should be their No. 1 outside receiver to open the year.
Having him healthy for an entire offseason with the Lions is fantastic news for the rest of the offense.
