Game: Detroit Lions @ Kansas City Chiefs
Time: 8:20 p.m.
Odds: Lions +4.5, Chiefs -4.5
Total: 53.5
Tonight, the 2023 NFL season will kick off with a matchup between the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and the upstart Detroit Lions. Having overcome a 24-14 halftime deficit to win and cover as one-point underdogs in Super Bowl 57, the Chiefs are coming off a 38-35 triumph over the Philadelphia Eagles. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes won the Super Bowl MVP despite playing through a high ankle sprain. He’s had plenty of time to heal and is healthy tonight. TE Travis Kelce is not after having suffered a hyperextended knee in Tuesday’s practice. He is questionable for tonight.
The Lions, meanwhile, are considered one of the early favorites to win the NFC championship after finishing the 2022 regular season by winning eight of ten games and five of their last six, going 9-1 against the spread in the final 10 games of the season. There is a lot of hype in Detroit heading into this season.
At the close of last year, Detroit was a team that no one wanted to play. In the Week 18 finale at Lambeau Field, the Lions shocked Green Bay, winning 20-16 despite being a 4.5-point road underdog. The Packers’ loss knocked them out of the postseason and allowed the Seattle Seahawks to advance.
In winning five of the team’s final six games, Detroit’s defense showed up big time. The Lions limited opponents to 17 points or less in their final five wins of the season. After leading the NFL in total yardage (413.6 yards per game) and scoring (29.2 points per game) a year ago en route to winning the Super Bowl, the key for Detroit will be trying to contain Mahomes and the Kansas City offense.
The situation on the other side of the ball, though, is different, particularly because All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones is refusing to sign a new contract. He is seeking a new deal that could pay him more than $30 million a year. Jones is a genuine game-changer, and he’s a big reason why the Chiefs were so successful last year. Jones tied for fourth in the NFL with 15.5 sacks. That number led all interior defensive linemen.
Detroit QB Jared Goff will try to take advantage of Jones’ absence and a suspect Kansas City secondary. Rookie Jahmyr Gibbs and the Lions host of wide receivers will play a huge role if there is going to be any chance of a Lions upset. Detroit will have to control the clock to try and keep Mahomes and company off the field.
Counting the playoffs from last year, Kansas City has won eight straight games. The Chiefs have also won 13 of their previous 14 games, going 7-7 ATS over that stretch. It’s important to remember that the Chiefs have lost their previous six games when they were favored by seven points or fewer, going 1-5 ATS. All five of those non-covers were decided by three points or less.
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