The 49ers were always going to be favored big over a rebuilding Detroit Lions team, but the line is ballooning as their Week 1 showdown at Ford Field in Detroit draws closer.
A point spread that once sat at 7 points has now climbed to 8.5 in the 49ers’ favor according to Tipico. It’s the largest spread on the first Sunday of the season.
San Francisco has a few factors to overcome despite the massive talent discrepancy between them and the Lions. A 10:00 AM Pacific Time kickoff won’t make for an easy start. The Lions are playing under a new coaching staff with head coach Dan Campbell at the helm. The 49ers are likely to be without starting cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, and Jimmy Garoppolo has struggled in three Week 1 starts since coming to the Bay Area.
On the other hand, the Lions defense is not good and their offense features quarterback Jared Goff who’s struggled against the 49ers in the last couple years. Now Goff is in a much less talented offense than the one he was in in Los Angeles. Even a slow start for the 49ers could end with a multi-touchdown victory.
This line could come down a bit before kickoff, but chances are it’ll climb another half point as money comes in on the heavily-favored 49ers.
