Being a fan of the Detroit Lions can be something of a trial. We are talking about a team that has experienced nothing more than wild card playoff losses since 1991, and even a post-season finish is a rarity. Still, head coach Dan Campbell has injected some much-needed self-belief in his second season in charge at Ford Field, and there is a decent shot at the playoffs this time around.
46-year-old Campbell’s first shot at a lead role in the NFL didn’t end well as the Lions saw out a hideous 3-13-1 record in 2021, but six wins in seven have left Lions fans buzzing, and they now sit second in the NFC North, albeit light years behind the Minnesota Vikings, and just outside the wild card hunt with three games to play.
Sports betting fans, and those who back the often beleaguered team, would do well to check out the Detroit Lions betting odds as Campbell’s side comes roaring back into contention for the playoffs. They face the Carolina Panthers, the Chicago Bears, and the Green Bay Packers in their final three games, all of whom have losing records, and this all points to a very real possibility of leapfrogging the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Commanders for the final NFC wild card spot, if we assume that the New York Giants will keep their sixth place berth.
On their turnaround, Campbell was quick to praise his team and general manager Brad Holmes, stating;
“Brad and I put together a roster that we really believed in, guys who have had to overcome adversity,”
“They never got down. There are guys here from last year when we only won three games, but we brought them here because they championed the cause. They were about what we were about. Then there are the coaches. They carried the message. They believe in what I believe in.”
On the fantastic run of form, he added;
“It snowballed,”
“We simplified things, we got their confidence back, and we moved some people around.”
“I feel like our young guys are growing,”
“and the faster they grow, the better we’ve gotten,” Campbell concluded.
Their run of six wins from seven has been monumental. It’s worth noting that the one loss they experienced on this run came against Super Bowl favorites, the Buffalo Bills. Even that defeat only came in the final seconds when Tyler Bass kicked a 45-yard field goal with two seconds left on the clock, giving the visitors to Ford Field the narrowest of 28-25 wins.
The momentum is certainly in the Lions’ favor. Their home-field advantage against the woeful Bears should result in a straightforward win, and victory against either, or even both, the Panthers and the Packers on the road could be enough to net them post-season action, which would have been unthinkable back in late October when their loss to the Miami Dolphins left them 1-6.
