Detroit Lions: 2018 season prop bets not looking flattering

If prop bet odds makers have a solid pulse on the 2018 NFL season, it might not be one for Detroit Lions fans to remember.

The Detroit Lions weren’t getting the results they wanted, even with back-to-back nine-win seasons under former head coach Jim Caldwell. Bob Quinn made it clear he’s looking for more when he fired Caldwell and brought in his Matt Patricia, his former colleague with the New England Patriots, to take over.

But if those results are going to come, it doesn’t look like those who set odds for prop bets for the 2018 NFL season see them coming right away. The folks at SportsBettingDime.com have released their 100-day countdown odds and props and they aren’t particularly kind to the Lions.

While most offseason power rankings have the Lions somewhere in the teens heading into the 2018 season, prop bet odds place them just 22nd-most likely to win the Super Bowl. At 70/1, the Lions check in beween the Raiders and Colts; not great company to keep. The full list of Super Bowl odds as are as follows:

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Patriots 7/1
Eagles 9/1
Rams 11/1
Packers 15/1
Vikings 16/1
Steelers 17/1
Saints 18/1
Chargers 22/1
Texans 24/1
Falcons 26/1
Jaguars 28/1
49ers 35/1
Cowboys 40/1
Panthers 45/1
Chiefs 50/1
Giants 50/1
Seahawks 50/1
Ravens 55/1
Broncos 55/1
Titans 55/1
Raiders 65/1
Lions 70/1
Colts 75/1
Washington 80/1
Buccaneers 85/1
Bears 90/1
Cardinals 90/1
Bengals 95/1
Browns 95/1
Bills 100/1
Dolphins 115/1
Jets 115/1

One non-Lions item of interest, check out which three teams come in the bottom. What they Patriots have done in maintaining their dominance over nearly two decades know is impressive but no one will confuse the AFC East for one of the NFL’s best.

More concerning than the Lions’ Super Bowl odds is the fact that Matt Patricia’s name shows up as a choice for first NFL coach to be fired in 2018. Hue Jackson is unsurprising to get the best odds to be the first fired but Patricia, who was just hired months ago, is a surprise to be listed with the seventh-best odds. The full list is as follows:

Hue Jackson (Browns) 5/1
Dirk Koetter (Buccaneers) 7/1
Vance Joseph (Broncos) 7/1
Marvin Lewis (Bengals) 9/1
Jay Gruden (Washington) 9/1
Todd Bowles (Jets) 10/1
Matt Patricia (Lions) 15/1
Adam Gase (Dolphins) 16/1
Jason Garrett (Cowboys) 19/1
Ron Rivera (Panthers) 19/1
John Harbaugh (Ravens) 32/1

It’s unlikely Patricia’s inclusion on this list has anything to do with the expected performance of him or his team on the field. It’s insane to think that a first year coach would be fired mid-season, especially one who is as closely tied with the general manager as Patricia is to Bob Quinn. However, the recent revelations of allegations against Patricia in his past cause a special case. There is no reason to expect Patricia to be on the hot seat as a result right now but that could change should new information surface.

OK, that feels like a lot of bad news. Ready for more? Patricia may be bringing a new defensive mindset to the Lions but there doesn’t appear to be expectations of that leading to immediate success. Of the ten-best odds to be the best scoring defense in the NFL next season, the Lions are absent from the list.

Odds to have best scoring defense
Jaguars: 15/2
Vikings: 8/1
Chargers: 8/1
Broncos: 10/1
Texans: 12/1
Ravens: 14/1
Rams: 14/1
Eagles: 15/1
Panthers: 16/1
Patriots: 18/1

Well, you say, the Lions defense should be behind the offense given the continuity on that side of the ball. I think that’s true, but unfortunately it’s not enough for the Lions to crack the top-ten odds to lead the league in scoring offense either.

Odds to have best scoring offense
Patriots: 8/1
Eagles: 8/1
Steelers: 10/1
Falcons: 12/1
Rams: 12/1
Packers: 14/1
Texans: 14/1
Saints: 14/1
Vikings: 18/1
Jaguars: 20/1

Now for some good news. The Lions may Super Bowl long shots and the offense isn’t expected, at least by the betting odds, to light up the scoreboard but Matthew Stafford does get some respect from odds makers. Ranking as tied for the 13th-most likely to be named the 2018 MVP, Stafford carries odds of 45/1.

MVP Odds
Tom Brady (Patriots) 8/1
Aaron Rodgers (Packers) 8/1
Carson Wentz (Eagles) 12/1
Russell Wilson (Seahawks) 12/1
Matt Ryan (Falcons) 16/1
Drew Brees (Saints) 18/1
Cam Newton (Panthers) 19/1
Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers) 25/1
Deshaun Watson (Texans) 32/1
Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) 35/1
Jared Goff (Rams) 40/1
David Johnson (Cardinals) 40/1
Philip Rivers (Chargers) 45/1
Matthew Stafford (Lions) 45/1
Derek Carr (Raiders) 50/1
Le’Veon Bell (Steelers) 55/1
Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys) 55/1
Antonio Brown (Steelers) 65/1
Aaron Donald (Rams) 85/1

Next: Is Jim Bob Cooter on the hot seat?

Think the odds-makers have it wrong? Willing to put some money on it? Let us know in the comments below or send us a Tweet.

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