Eagles at Lions Prediction For NFL Week 1

New-look Philadelphia has high expectations heading into 2022 season

Eagles at Lions Prediction For Week 1

The Philadelphia Eagles spent this offseason upgrading their roster, and now the playoff expectations are only louder as they enter Week 1 against the Detroit Lions.

Philly obviously comes into this season with much higher expectations than the Lions, just barely behind the Cowboys to win the NFC East (+176 consensus), with Detroit and their 6.5 win total sitting as a longshot to even make the postseason (+381).

Keep in mind though, the market has seen a huge swing recently when it comes to Dan Campbell's Lions, with over 6.5 priced at +130 to open, but, after 94 percent of the tickets and 95 percent of the handle coming in on the over at BetMGM, both sides are now just -110. Even with their minuscule three wins last year, the Lions were at least a strong bet to cover on a weekly basis. In fact, Detroit was third in the NFL against the spread at 11-6, behind only the Packers and Cowboys.

Now, sure, covering but losing outright won't help much with this win total, but it shows a potential for major growth under Campbell in Year 2.

The Eagles (8-9-1 ATS last year) found themselves doing the whole "get in playoff mode before the playoffs" last year, going from 5-7 overall to 9-8 and a playoff spot after winning four of their last five games. Now, most of the pressure will fall on Jalen Hurts to show he can be a franchise quarterback (+2000 to win MVP on BetMGM), after throwing for just 209 yards per game last year.

There's also the list of additions on that Eagles roster that should make this team a tough start for the Lions, with receiver A.J. Brown, linebacker Haason Reddick, and corner James Bradberry just the tip of the iceberg.

Anyone that's jumped on the Lions' bandwagon may not be looking at the season opener as the game that starts their momentum.

Eagles at Lions Week 1 Lean: Eagles -4

BetQL subscribers can see more betting trends and all of our best bets with star ratings for every pick, including NFL player props. Sign up for a BetQL Day Pass and see our best bets across all sports!