Lions Are Betting Favorite To Win NFC North

The Detroit Lions experienced a disappointing 2025 campaign, finishing 9-8 and in last place in the NFC North.

They were coming off back-to-back division titles, and had entered the season with serious Super Bowl aspirations. Yet, Dan Campbell’s squad fell far short of expectations, missing out on the playoffs altogether.

It led to a pivotal offseason for Detroit general manager Brad Holmes, who was tasked with re-sharping the roster into a playoff-caliber one. He largely did just through a number of shrewd moves in both free agency and the NFL Draft, plugging holes and adding much-needed depth on both sides of the ball.

Most notably, Holmes made a concerted effort to upgrade the team’s offensive line, which endured its fair share of struggles a season ago.

He kicked off the offseason by inking interior lineman Cade Mays to a multi-year contract. The former Panthers OL has developed into a reliable center over the past two seasons, and should be an upgrade over the much-maligned Graham Glasgow.

The sixth-year GM also wisely invested in the offensive line via this past April’s draft, selecting Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller at No. 17 overall.

Miller can slide right in and play either tackle position, providing the Lions with a viable option to replace Taylor Decker at left tackle. Because of Miller’s flexibility, Detroit could also opt to move All-Pro RT Penei Sewell to the left side of the line.

Regardless, Holmes has effectively stabilized the Lions’ offensive line entering the 2026 season.

He’s also upgraded the team’s pass-rush, most notably adding EDGE defenders D.J. Wonnum (in free agency) and Derrick Moore (through the draft).

However, have Holmes and Detroit’s front office done enough to catapult the Lions back to the top of the NFC North? DraftKings certainly thinks so, as it currently has Campbell’s bunch as the betting favorite (+185) to win the division this upcoming season.

Per the popular sportsbook, the Lions are followed by the Green Bay Packers (+210), the Chicago Bears (+310) and the Minnesota Vikings (+500).

While it’s hard to pinpoint the exact reason for these present odds, one can easily speculate it’s at least partially due to Detroit’s strength of schedule.

Campbell & Co. will enter the season with the NFL's sixth-easiest schedule, based on last year's win-loss records. Detroit’s opponents, in fact, possessed a win-loss percentage of only .467.

Additionally, the Lions, by nature of their last-place finish in 2025, will play just eight games against teams that had a winning record last season. On top of that, they will square off in 2026 with last year’s cellar-dwellers from the AFC South (Tennessee), the NFC East (N.Y. Giants) and the NFC West (Arizona).

It’s fair to say that Detroit, equipped with a deeper roster than a year ago, should benefit from the favorable schedule.

The Lions will kick off the 2026 season with a tilt against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Sept. 13, at 1 p.m. (EST) at Ford Field.

Gaming odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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