The Detroit Lions provided Week 5’s online football betting upset when they triumphed over the Philadelphia Eagles this past weekend. With their win over the Eagles the Lions gained their second win of the season and have legitimized themselves as a competitive football team. The Lions are currently sitting at 2-3, and while it may be true that it’s still very early in the season, it’s very unlikely that Detroit will be able to beat out the Minnesota Vikings for the NFC North. However, Detroit could always clinch a Wild Card Berth, and the best way to do that is by consistently beating their opponents. The Lions will get an opportunity to improve their playoff chances this weekend when they face the Los Angeles Rams. Since neither the Rams nor the Lions have been overly impressive; which team are most football betting sites going to favor?
Week 6 – Sunday, October 16th
Detroit Lions -3 (-120) 44 (-110) -171
Los Angeles Rams +3 (EV) 44 (-110) +151
This will be one of the few times this season that the online football betting odds actually paint the Detroit Lions as the favorites. Being a Lions fan hasn’t been the most rewarding experience in recent years and seeing one of their biggest stars, Calvin Johnson, retire before the season began might have been one of the biggest blows Lions’ fans have had to endure in a while. But retirement is part of the game and Detroit is doing their best to win football games, despite the loss of one of the greatest receivers in the game.
The Lions have been playing the type of football that we’ve seen from the franchise for several years now: a poor defensive effort, carried by the explosive capability of their passing offense. This type of performance puts a lot of pressure on their quarterback, Matthew Stafford, who has been doing his best to lead his team to a winning season. So far this season, Stafford has earned a 99.6 passer rating and thanks to his efforts, the Lions passing offense ranks as the 13th best in the NFL. Unfortunately Detroit has the 23rd worst rushing offense in the NFL, so it’s no understatement to say that Stafford carries the weight of this offense on his shoulders. One thing is for certain; no one in the NFL misses Calvin Johnson more than his old quarterback.
The Rams are basically the Lions’ opposite. Los Angeles houses one of the worst offenses in the NFL, but their defense isn’t terrible. Defensively the Rams rank in the top half of the league for points (14th) and passing defense (14th), but rank in the bottom half for total defense (18th) and rushing defense (28th). The Rams run defense might catch a break this weekend considering how poor the Lions run the ball, and the same can be said about Los Angeles’ offense. Detroit’s defense ranks near the bottom of the league in every stat imaginable, so pairing them against the Rams pitiable offense should prove interesting. There have been a lot of online football betting blowouts this season, but this contest should prove competitive.
