Through 11 weeks of the 2025 NFL season, the Detroit Lions find themselves third in their division. The NFC North standings look like this at the moment:
- Chicago Bears: 7-3
- Green Bay Packers: 6-3-1
- Detroit Lions: 6-4
- Minnesota Vikings: 4-6
If the Lions are looking to win their third-straight division title, they are going to need to make up some ground. However, they’re just a single game out of the top spot, and with divisional games remaining against all three teams, they still technically hold their own fate in their own hands.
With nearly half of a season still to be played, a lot can happen. So today’s Question of the Day is:
Are the Lions still the NFC North favorites?
My answer: If we go by the Vegas odds, they still share the top spot with the Packers. Here are each team’s betting odds to win the division, based on FanDuel Sportsbook:
- Lions +140
- Packers +140
- Bears +330
- Vikings +6500
If we go by an all-encompassing efficiency metric like DVOA, the Lions still very much look the best of the group:
- Lions 4th in DVOA
- Packers: 7th
- Bears: 25th
- Vikings: 23rd
Then, of course, there’s the remaining schedule. Per DVOA, the Vikings have the third-hardest remaining schedule, the Bears are sixth, the Lions are 13th, and the Packers are 18th. By win percentage or remaining opponents, it looks like this (per Tankathon) :
- Packers: .592 win percentage remaining (first in NFL)
- Bears: .592 (first)
- Lions: .535 (ninth)
- Vikings: .493 (17th)
By just about any way you put it, the entire NFC North has got some difficult games ahead, so the cream will certainly rise to the top. I do think it’s only a matter of time before the Bears’ luck (-6 point differential and league’s best +16 turnover margin) runs out.
It will likely come down to Lions vs. Packers. And I think the winner of their Thanksgiving Day game will eventually be crowned division winner.
Do you think the Lions are still the NFC North favorites? If not, who? Share your answer in the comment section at the bottom of the page, and explain your choice.
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