The Detroit Lions did not land a single prime-time game on the 2020 NFL schedule. The Chicago Bears maxed out with four dates under the national spotlight.
Yet in the first week of the season, the lowly Lions are favored to beat those popular Bears. The Week 1 matchup in Ford Field in September features an opening line with the Lions favored by 1.5 points over the visiting Bears. That’s the line at BetMGM and most sportsbooks in the first few days after the schedule release.
Some of that might stem from the Bears’ uncertainty at quarterback. Nick Foles has the best odds to start ahead of returning incumbent Mitchell Trubisky. The Lions have no such QB issues with Matthew Stafford returning for his 12th season at the helm.
Maybe if the Lions win convincingly the NFL can kill the Bears hype machine…
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship, and there is no influence on news coverage.
