Despite missing the playoffs last season, the Detroit Lions are entering the 2026 season with a ton of expectations. The widespread consensus around the NFL is that the Lions will have a bounce-back season, challenge for the top spot in the NFC North, and make a deep postseason run.
While Lions fans hope for and expect the same, this puts Detroit in an uncomfortable position.
Lions are out of their comfort zone as a Super Bowl favorite
During the Dan Campbell era, the Lions have thrived as the underdogs. Whenever there were heightened expectations, the Lions crumbled under the pressure. Whenever they could embrace their underdog status is when Detroit thrived.
Before the 2022 season, the Lions had a preseason win total over/under of 6.5. They went over and won nine games. The year after, Detroit still hadn't earned the respect of sportsbooks and had the ninth-best odds of winning the Super Bowl at +2200. They went all the way to the NFC Championship Game.
Ahead of the 2024 campaign, the Lions were considered a Super Bowl favorite. They had the fourth-best odds in Vegas at +1200. Heading into the divisional matchup against the Commanders, no one gave Washington a chance. The Lions were embarrassed at home.
Last season, the Lions had an over/under of 10.5 wins before the season. They were tied with the Packers in odds of winning the division. They performed significantly below expectations and went under in their win total for the first time since Dan Campbell's first year in charge.
Now, the Lions are facing a similar issue this time around. Yahoo Sports' Ben Fawkes listed the betting lines of every single game in the NFL schedule. The Lions are favored in all but three games all season. Other than the Week 2 matchup against Buffalo, Week 17 against Chicago, and Week 18 against Green Bay, the Lions will be the favorite in every game this season.
This is in line with the season-long expectations from the Lions. Detroit has an over/under of 10.5 wins once again and is tied for the fifth-best odds to win Super Bowl LXI.
Detroit's easy schedule certainly plays a part in this. But being this heavily favored is generally not preferable for Dan Campbell & Co. Instead, feeling disrespected and counted out is when the Lions do their best work.
The Lions made significant changes to the roster this offseason, getting younger in several key positions. Whether they meaningfully improved, however, is another question. The Lions certainly earned the respect they are receiving, but one has to wonder whether the increased expectations overstate where Detroit is ahead of the season.
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