Detroit Lions Week 7 Rooting Guide

Detroit Lions fans will be able to take in a Sunday afternoon slate of football without a game this week.

Detroit will take the field in primetime Monday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a game with big early season implications. However, there are multiple games on Sunday in which the team has rooting interests for their playoff chances.

Per ESPN's Football Power Index, the Lions now have the second-best odds to win the NFC North. The site shows the Lions with a 75 percent chance to make the playoffs and a 41 percent chance to win the North, behind Green Bay who sits at 78 percent to make the postseason and 44 percent to win the division.

For reference, the Packers defeated the Lions in Week 1 27-13 at Lambeau Field. Those two teams will meet once again at Ford Field on Thanksgiving in a game that could carry heavy divisional implications.

Here's who Lions fans should be rooting for in select Week 7 games.

Eagles at Vikings — Eagles

The Eagles have fallen on a rough patch of late, coming off a loss to the New York Giants. While they will likely be a contender for the top seed in the NFC assuming they return to form, at this stage the Lions would be better off rooting for a Vikings loss to gain some separation in the division. If Minnesota wins Sunday, they would pull into a first-place tie with Detroit at 4-2 heading into Detroit's game Monday. The Lions will have an opportunity to gain ground on both of these teams with head-to-head matchups later in the year.

Panthers at Jets — Jets

The Panthers are sitting at 3-3 with a chance to move into the Wild Card mix nearly midway through the year with a win. In rooting for AFC over NFC, Lions fans can root for former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to earn his first head coaching win after what has been a difficult start to his tenure.

Saints at Bears — Saints

This game would allow the Lions to gain another game of separation on Chicago after winning the first head-to-head matchup. The Bears are gaining some momentum with three-straight wins, and as a result could move to 4-2 and tie the Lions win a win.

Giants at Broncos — Broncos

This is another opportunity to root for AFC over NFC. The Giants have showed some promise and will come to Detroit the week prior to Thanksgiving, but Sean Payton's defense could keep the young core of Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo in check.

Packers at Cardinals — Cardinals

This is the biggest game on Sunday's slate for Detroit's NFC North title chances. Currently, the Lions are tied with Green Bay and the Packers have the head-to-head advantage. However, the Cardinals can help Detroit out with a win at home.

Commanders at Cowboys — Cowboys

The Cowboys are chasing the Commanders, and could help Detroit out with a win on Sunday. Detroit will also get an opportunity to gain another game on Washington in Week 10, and with a win Dallas can pull themselves closer to the NFC East lead behind Philadelphia.

Falcons at 49ers — Falcons

San Francisco is currently tied with the Lions at 4-2, and Atlanta could put a game of separation between the Lions and the 49ers. A win would also put the Falcons at 4-2 and right in the mix in the NFC South.