The Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions were close to the hearts of NFL bettors this summer, but now force fans to choose when they clash in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season.
Philadelphia saw its NFL odds spike after a solid offseason, headlined by the addition of star receiver A.J. Brown and positive progress from quarterback Jalen Hurts, who looked good in camp and preseason play.
Detroit gave football fans an inside look at life within the franchise, starring in HBO’s "Hard Knocks" series this summer. That public appeal — along with an 11-6 against the spread record in 2021 — has drummed up its share of wagers on its 2022 success.
We break down the spread, total, and our best NFL betting picks and predictions for Eagles vs. Lions.
Eagles vs Lions best odds
Eagles vs Lions picks and predictions
There are a ton of unknowns when it comes to these two teams, which has many bettors shying away from the spread or not getting involved with the total now that the best of the number is gone. Thankfully, the popularity of NFL betting has bookies pulling out all the stops, including a long list of player props.
We swing our focus to Philadelphia’s offense and specifically tight end Dallas Goedert, who quickly became Jalen Hurts’ top target in the home stretch of the season. The 6-foot-5 Goedert finished the campaign with 830 yards on 53 receptions, with over 400 of those gains coming on 27 catches in the final six games of the regular season. He added six grabs for 92 yards in the playoff loss to Tampa Bay.
While that boost in numbers did come against pitiful defenses at the end of the year, it also came against defenses protecting against the Eagles’ run-heavy playbook. Philadelphia will once again look for balance in the offense with a healthy dose of the ground game, and Detroit’s stout defensive line will be protecting against the run after allowing 236 yards rushing to Philadelphia in Week 8 last year.
The Lions may want to be careful with that game plan. Not only did Detroit get torched by rival tight ends in 2021 — allowing the second-highest yardage total to the position — but Goedert had a big day in that 44-6 blowout of the Lions on Halloween. He caught six of seven balls thrown his way for 72 yards.
The Detroit secondary will have their hands full with Philly’s other downfield targets — A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith — leaving Goedert to either exploit a weak Lions’ linebacker corps or bully a smaller safety. On top of that, Detroit is aiming to pump up its pass rush with some young studs up front, making Goedert a pressure release if Hurts feels the heat.
Goedert finished last year with an average of 55.3 receiving yards per game, and while Hurts has some other targets at his disposal in 2022, his tight end won’t be forgotten about. This pair picked up where they left off in the preseason opener, with Hurts hitting Goedert for a 22-yard touchdown pass.
That’ll get you halfway to his Week 1 receiving yards prop.
My best bet: Dallas Goedert Over 45.5 yards receiving (-115 at Caesars)
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Eagles vs Lions betting preview
Jump to:
•Spread analysis •Over/Under analysis •Game info •Injuries •Weather •Trend to know
Spread analysis
This spread opened between Eagles -3.5 and -4.5 and quickly found common ground at -4, where this game has remained most of the summer months. As we close in on kickoff Sunday, Philadelphia can be found as low as -3.5 — a significant spread since four points is a relatively key number behind those common spreads (3, 7, 6, 10, 14).
Sportsbook operators are split on action for this game, as some report heaving bet counts and handle on Philadelphia while others have taken the majority of tickets and money on Detroit. Our Covers Consensus, however, has 64% of picks backing Philadelphia.
These teams battled on Halloween in Week 8 last year, with the Eagles closing as 3-point road favorites in Motown before blowing out the host team 44-6.
Over/Under analysis
The Over/Under for this Week 1 contest hit the board as low as 46 points back in mid May. Over money showed up in August as bettors got a look at both teams, primarily the Eagles offense with Hurts under center. That boosted the number to as high as 48.5 points, which is the market consensus entering game week.
Covers Consensus shows 52% of picks siding with the Under while sportsbook operators are heavy on Over money that moved this total in August. Places like DraftKings were reporting 58% of bets on the Under but 70% of the handle hung on the Over.
The Week 8 total from last season closed at 48 points and went Over with the Eagles doing the bulk of the heavy lifting in that 44-6 final score.
Eagles vs Lions game info
• Location: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
• Date: Sunday, September 11, 2022
• Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET
• TV: FOX
Eagles vs Lions key injuries
Find our latest NFL injury reports.
Eagles vs Lions weather
Monitor gametime conditions with our live NFL weather info and learn how weather impacts NFL betting.
Eagles vs Lions betting trend to know
Detroit has one hell of an Over run in season openers, going a perfect 10-0 O/U in Week 1 since 2011 while allowing 31.5 points per game in those contests. Find more NFL betting trends for Eagles vs. Lions.
