How Detroit Lions’ Week 1 betting line has changed vs. Rams

An updated look at how the betting odds have changed for the Detroit Lions vs. Los Angeles Rams Week 1 matchup on “Sunday Night Football.”

It’s officially Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season and the Detroit Lions will face off against the Los Angeles Rams on “Sunday Night Football.” When the schedule was released back in May, the Lions opened as three-point favorites, but according to the good folks over at Fan Duel Sportsbook, there’s been a slight change in the opening betting odds.

Lions open Week 1 as 3.5-point favorites.

Despite both teams making the playoffs—facing off in an epic battle that saw Detroit come out on top—both teams were very active in the offseason, working to take their rosters up to the next level. The Rams invested in the trenches building on both sides of the line, while the Lions focused on improving their defense, specifically overhauling their secondary.

On defense, Rams’ soon-to-be Hall of Famer Aaron Donald retired leaving a massive hole on their defensive line. The Rams elected to “replace by committee,” leading to them drafting Jared Verse in the first and Braden Fiske in the second round of this year’s draft.

Additionally, the Rams were forced to replace defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and they hired first-year coordinator Chris Shula as his replacement, who shifted the defense to a 3-3-5 base. Furthermore, they recently traded away their captain and starting MIKE Ernest Jones and will be turning the linebacker core over to Christian Rozeboom and Troy Reeder.

On offense, the Rams swooped in and signed Jonah Jackson away from Detroit to be one of their starting interior offensive lineman. Jackson played left guard for the Lions and initially looked like he would fill the same role for the Rams. But Jackson was lost for most of training camp with an injury, and upon his return, they’re now considering using him at center and shifting 2023 second-round pick Steve Avila to left guard.

Unfortunately for the Rams, while their interior offensive line may be improved, their tackles could be a potential problem. Starting left tackle Alaric Jackson has been suspended and will miss the opener, while starting right tackle Rob Havenstein hasn’t practiced in nearly a month. Their offensive line as a whole remains very much in flux.

For the Lions, they haven’t had as drastic an offseason. They poured most of their resources into their defense, drafting cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw with their first two picks, while also trading a third-round pick to acquire Carlton Davis. The Lions are still searching for a big-bodied WR-X, but they feel they have enough skill players to still be plenty effective while they look for the right fit.

Beyond that, there aren’t many questions surrounding the Lions roster. So when you factor in the fact that the Lions have added instead of replaced players on their roster this offseason, the game will be played in Detroit in front of a national audience, and the Lions won their last matchup, it’s not overly surprising that they get the early benefit of the doubt when setting the betting odds.