Are the Lions starting the playoffs in style?
The best team in the NFC is heading into the playoffs – at least if we look at the record. With 15-2 wins, Detroit was head and shoulders above the rest at the end of the regular season, which also makes them one of the big favorites in our Lions vs. Commanders tip.
Similar to the Chiefs against the Texans, the Lions also have a handicap of 8.5 – even up to 9.5 points, which makes this matchup the most one-sided of this second playoff round. But is it really?
The Commanders have shown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that they are already cold-blooded despite their limited playoff experience, and Jayden Daniels has proven that the future belongs to him at quarterback.
So for Lions vs. Commanders, our prediction is a wild game that should have plenty of highlights. In the end, however, we also see Detroit as being quite a bit ahead, although not necessarily by the 9.5 points. In any case, we expect more touchdowns than field goals in this matchup.
Kickoff of this playoff thriller is on Saturday night at 2:20 a.m. in Detroit. The game can be followed live on DAZN and on RTL.
Detroit Lions – Statistics & Current Form
Are the Lions ready for the Super Bowl this year? If the betting providers have their way, then yes.
Are the Lions ready for the Super Bowl this year? If the betting providers are to be believed, then yes. They are clearly in first place among the overall favorites with odds of just 3.60, which of course also brings some pressure with it.
They are also the clear favorites in the game against the Commanders, which is reflected in the odds for Lions vs. Commanders. So we have to give them a handicap of -9.5 to get any acceptable value at all.
Lions the favorites
However, we also see Detroit clearly ahead, which makes this handicap somewhat playable. Nevertheless, we are trying to find further betting alternatives, and here we come up with field goals above all – or rather with non-field goals.
Both the Lions and the Commanders have proven this season that they love to take risks. Dan Campbell already stood out in the playoffs this season for mercilessly running out fourth downs, and Dan Quinn emulated him on Sunday against the Bucs.
He played out every reasonably short fourth down, which ultimately meant that Washington did not have to punt a single time. This is also exactly the formula that Detroit often uses in its games, which should minimize the field goal attempts.
Tips on under field goals as an exciting option
This also means that both teams will try to score touchdowns come hell or high water. “He who kicks, loses” could be the motto for the game. So, for Lions vs. Commanders, the odds on under 3.5 field goals are definitely a first betting tip.
However, since the bookmakers are thinking along similar lines, it is worth combining this tip with a win bet on Detroit. This will then also get us past the 2-bet mark for the betting odds.
Key Players:
- QB: Jared Goff
- RB: Jahmyr Gibbs
- WR: Amon-Ra St.Brown
- TE: Sam Laporta
- K: Jake Bates
Washington Commanders – Statistics & current form
That was a small exclamation mark in the first playoff game for Jayden Daniels. The rookie quarterback didn’t show any nerves against the Buccaneers. He made no mistakes, scored two touchdowns, 36 rushing yards, and won the game on the road in Tampa.
Was this to be expected? No and somehow yes. Because Daniels often showed his nerve in the regular season, including with a game-winning Hail Mary against the Chicago Bears.
Commanders statistically inferior
The Commanders would certainly sign on the spot if they were offered the chance to win with the clock running down. However, it is unlikely that it will come to that against the Lions.
They lead in almost all statistics in this duel. They score 4.7 points more per game and concede 2.9 points less. They also lead Washington by eight points in the turnover ratio (+9).
The Commanders would need a perfect game to have a chance of winning here. It has been over 16 years since the franchise last won in Detroit.
Tips on Washington hardly playable
So the odds on the Commanders are not playable in any category for Detroit vs. Washington. Because we don’t trust them to score points or make field goals, and even with the handicap of +9.5, we would be very careful with tips here.
Perhaps player bets on a Commanders player could be an option. For example, the betting odds for Terry McLaurin to score a touchdown against the Lions are not bad at 2.25.
Key Players:
- QB: Jayden Daniels
- RB: Brian Robinson
- WR: Terry McLaurin
- TE: Zach Ertz
- K: Zane Gonzalez
Detroit Lions – Washington Commanders Head-to-Head Record
We have already mentioned Washington’s poor record against Detroit. The Commanders have only won one of the last seven head-to-head duels. And since then (2019), the Lions have definitely not gotten worse.
On the contrary: the Lions have improved continuously and should now be unstoppable, even by the surprisingly strong Commanders. So our clear recommendation for Detroit vs. Washington is a bet on the Lions.
Of course, without a combination, it will hardly bring odds, so we have to find a second option. For us, that’s either a tip on a touchdown from Amon-Ra St. Brown or on under 3.5 field goals, as both teams will increasingly go for touchdowns.
Detroit Lions – Washington Commanders Tip
The handicap on the Lions is currently rising daily and is already at -9.5. It is still somewhat playable, although we now favor other tips. We have already discussed the risk appetite of both teams and that is why we are using it for our tip.
On fourth down, both teams rarely go for a field goal, but instead try to get a new first down. This ensures that the number of field goals remains low and makes our top betting tip for Lions vs. Commanders a victory for the Lions + under 3.5 field goals.
Alternatively, we have already mentioned two player bets. For Detroit vs. Washington, our prediction is that either Amon-Ra St.Brown or Terry McLaurin will score a touchdown. Possibly even both players.
