Lions Are 3-Point Favorite against Falcons

The Lions have opened as betting favorites to beat the Falcons.

The Detroit Lions could look a lot different come Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. 

The injury bug reared its ugly head in Detroit's Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, with several players leaving the contest with injuries.

Among the multitude of physical ailments, running back David Montgomery suffered a thigh bruise, EDGE James Houston injured his fibula and offensive lineman Halapoulivaati Vaitai hurt his knee. Each of the aforementioned players is expected to be sidelined for at least the next couple of weeks.

Then, to make matters worse, it was announced on Monday night that defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson is expected to miss the rest of the season with a torn pectoral muscle.

It certainly puts the Lions in a major health crisis headed into their Week 3 matchup with the 2-0 Falcons. 

After entering the year with little-to-no expectations, Atlanta is slowly proving to the NFL world that it is no joke. It knocked off the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, and beat Detroit's NFC North rival Green Bay Packers in Week 2. 

In the Falcons' win over the Packers, rookie running back Bijan Robinson – taken four picks before Lions first-year back Jahmyr Gibbs – produced a dominant performance. Robinson amassed 124 yards on 19 carries, good for an impressive 6.5 yards per rushing attempt.

Meanwhile, the Lions, after being picked in the preseason by a variety of fans and pundits to make the playoffs, sit at just 1-1. They'll look to get past their crushing, overtime loss to Seattle with a win against Atlanta in Week 3.

As of Tuesday morning, Detroit is a 3.5-point favorite over the Falcons, per SI Sportsbook. In case you were wondering, Detroit opened as a 5.5-point favorite for its Week 2 tilt with the Seahawks. 

Kickoff for the Lions' contest with Atlanta Sunday is set for 1 p.m. (EST) at Ford Field.