NFL Gambling Analyst Dumps Cold Water on Lions Hype

Could Lions fail to meet expectations in 2024?

Defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson stretches during the Detroit Lions training camp at their training facility in Allen Park, Mich. on Monday, July 29, 2024. / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK

Entering the 2024 season, the Detroit Lions are facing Super Bowl-or-bust expectations from a variety of fans and pundits alike. 

Vegas is presently high on Dan Campbell's squad, too. 

In fact, per FanDuel, the Lions possess the fourth-best odds to win the Super Bowl (+1200), the second-best odds to win the NFC (tied with the Eagles at +550) and the best odds to win the NFC North (+130).

Just because that's the case, though, it doesn't mean everyone is bullish on the prospects of the reigning NFC North champions.

Just ask OutKick's Geoff Clark, who believes Campbell & Co. will fail to meet expectations this upcoming season.

Clark has Detroit pegged for an 8-9 record and a third-place finish in 2024. That would be a huge letdown from Campbell's team, which went 12-5 and made the NFC Championship Game a season ago. 

As for Clark's reasoning, he believes that Detroit, which went 6-3 in one-score games in 2023, won't be as “lucky” in Campbell's fourth season as Lions head man.

“The Lions seemingly converted every fourth-down and trick play Campbell dialed up. This point is sort of void of analysis, but Detroit won't get that lucky again in 2024. That's just how the NFL works,” Clark wrote. “The market leans toward the Lions winning 11 games next season. However, I cannot back a team without a top-10 quarterback to have double-digit wins. Goff has turned his career around in Detroit. Nonetheless, he is the third-best quarterback in the NFC North and regression is coming from Goff and the Lions next year.” 

While Clark is down on the Lions as a team, he does have a positive outlook for third-year pro Aidan Hutchinson in 2024. 

The sports betting analyst, in fact, believes that the EDGE defender, coming off an 11.5-sack and 101-pressure campaign in 2023, is a good bet (+1400 odds) to win Defensive Player of the Year. Clark labeled it as his “best bet” for the Lions in 2024. 

Detroit opens the regular season on Sunday Night Football September 8 against Matthew Stafford and the L.A. Rams.