NFL Betting Online: The Detroit Lions had a horrible start to 2015 and a fantastic finish which made them just mediocre overall. This season, the team will hope to pick up where they left off last year as they try to get back on track and back in the playoffs. The Lions have a +275 chance of making the playoffs and -350 odds of not getting into the postseason this year in NFL gambling.
The Lions went 7-9 in 2015, missing the playoffs for the third time in four years. After a disastrous 0-5 start which included losing a nail-bitter to San Diego in the season opener and losses to playoff-bound teams like Minnesota, Denver, Seattle and Arizona, Detroit finally won its first game in Week 6 by defeating Chicago in overtime. That victory, however, was followed by two more losses in a row before the team’s bye week in Week 9. The second half of the year went much better for Detroit as they went 6-2 down the stretch but it wasn’t enough to save the season.
Quarterback Matt Stafford really turned it on in the second half of the season as well. He had 19 touchdowns and just two interceptions in the final eight games and finished the season with 4,262 yards in 2015 with 32 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He had a 67.2 percent completion rate. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson led the team in receiving with 88 catches for 1,214 yards and nine touchdowns. The defense left a lot to be desired, ranking 23rd out of 32 teams in points against and allowing opponents 25 points a game.
The offense will look to Stafford to make or break this season this year. The bad news is he loses his top receiver from last year in Johnson, who announced his retirement last March. Stafford will look to Golden Tate much more this season to step in Johnson’s absence. Tate is entering his third season with the Lions this year. He had 90 receptions for 813 yards and six touchdowns in 2015. Detroit added another weapon with the pickup of Marvin Jones this offseason as well. Even combined, it’s hard to replace Megatron but at least Stafford has a couple of solid options. The running game will rely on second-year running back Ameer Abdullah, who had fumbling issues but has big-time potential.
The defense struggled in 2015 but does have a trio of solid players in cornerback Darius Slay, linebacker DeAndre Levy and defensive lineman Ziggy Ansah. If the Lions can add some more depth within that unit, it will help moving forward. However, there doesn’t seem to be enough star power on the roster to push for the playoffs. The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings are the class of the NFC North, and unless Stafford can keep up his level of play from last year’s second half, the Lions will have a hard time making the postseason in 2016 in NFL gambling.
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook. You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform for the playoff chances for the Detroit Lions, who will need a spectacular season to make the 2016 playoffs behind Matt Stafford, Golden Tate, Darius Slay and DeAndre Levy. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today!
