The Detroit Lions haven’t had a winning season since 2017. Worst yet, their last playoff victory came in 1991. They’ve made the playoffs eight times since but failed to register a single win. While the Lions only had 16 wins from 2019 to 2021, they are showing signs of resurgence early in the 2022 NFL season.
The Lions are still not a playoff team, but will be trending in the right direction and might be worth a look for NFL betting, especially if they can be found at good odds.
There’s no doubt that head coach Dan Campbell can captivate a crowd with his charisma. But his persona masks that the Lions regressed from 5-11 in 2020 to 3-13-1 last year. However, they could have had a better record if not for their six losses of eight points or less.
The Lions also show early in the 2022 season that they will not go down without a fight. Though they only had one victory out of three games, their losses totaled seven points. Meanwhile, their offense is ranked third in total yards, averaging 409 yards per game. Detroit scored 31.7 points per game through Week 3, the second-best in the league.
The Lions franchise was founded in July 1930 as the Portsmouth Spartans. Four years later, the team transferred to Detroit due to financial difficulties. They were named the Lions because the city’s Major League Baseball team is known as the Tigers.
Before the Super Bowl era, the Lions won NFL championships in 1935, 1952, 1953, and 1957. Unfortunately, they haven’t had much luck after their last title. They are the only National Football Conference team that has not appeared in a Super Bowl and the only franchise operational throughout the Super Bowl era not to do so.
The Lions play their home games at Ford Field, which opened in 2002. It was renovated 15 years later and can house up to 65,000 spectators during a Lions game. It is one of the few NFL stadiums with end zones in the east and west. Given the Lions’ futility over the years, visiting squads have had much success in this venue.
The Detroit Lions were rivals with the Cleveland Browns during the 1950s. They faced each other in three playoff games from 1952 to 1954, and the Lions won two. But more recently, most of Detroit’s rivalries are with the teams in the NFC North, especially against the Chicago Bears.
The Lions’ rivalry with the Green Bay Packers has been one-sided recently, though Detroit defeated them in Week 18 of the 2021 season. In contrast, their rivalry with the Bears dates back to the 1930s and has been more intense. The Bears lead the all-time record, 104-75-5, and have won their last two meetings.
Pro Bowl quarterback Jared Goff leads the offense and has a talented backfield with running backs D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams. Meanwhile, he also has dependable targets in the passing game like Amon-Ra St. Brown, DJ Chark, and T.J. Hockenson. Frank Ragnow and Penei Sewell are the cornerstones of their offensive line.
On the other hand, Romeo Okwara and Aidan Hutchinson bolster their defensive front. Middle linebacker Alex Anzalone is one of the players who call out their defensive formations, while cornerback Jeff Okudah leads their secondary.
