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In another month, we’ll be getting ready for Detroit Lions football. That means we’re going to see overreactions from fans and analysts. But we’ll also see reality start to set in. Obviously, we know the preseason doesn’t count for anything other than what the depth chart looks like for the season.
When looking at the Lions depth chart, it’s safe to say that they’ve gotten better. So much so, that many NFL analysts believe that this team can win the NFC North and make a push into the playoffs.
Yes, some even believe they can win a Super Bowl.
I’ll hold off on that and just take a division championship or a playoff win at this point. Meanwhile, I’ll start preparing my bank account to put a mortgage payment on the Lions winning the NFC North. If you don’t feel as confident as winning a division championship as others, including myself, you could very well look at the Lions’ win total for the season.
This past week, that’s what Pro Football Focus did for all 32 teams in the NFL. They ran simulated win totals for each team and compared those totals to what DraftKings has for each team.
In the case of the Lions, DraftKings set the over/under at 9.5 wins. If you bet the over, the odds are set at -120; the under is +100. PFF, meanwhile, came up with a simulated win total for the Lions at 8.79 wins.
This would put them behind the Minnesota Vikings, who are projected at 8.89 wins. It’s essentially a toss-up between the two teams, and much of it could come down to the final three weeks of the season, when they have two matchups against each other. It’s predicted that those matchups could determine who walks away with the NFC North title.
If PFF’s simulated win totals do come to fruition, the Lions would pick 22nd overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Also, they would have the No. 6 seed for the playoffs.
My question to Lions fans is very simple: Do you think the Lions can win the NFC North? If you don’t think they can, do you think they will make the playoffs this season?