Commanders vs Lions Week 2 matchup preview and current betting lines
Ron Rivera entered the season on the hot seat. He had failed to establish that hardnosed defensive identity from his days with the Carolina Panthers, even though the Washington Commanders have built their roster through their defense.
They sure got off with the right foot to start the season, though, limiting the Jacksonville Jaguars to three points in the first half of the season and finally showing that potential to be one of the league’s top-notch defensive units.
That defense will be up for a difficult task on the road in Week Two, as they’ll visit a Detroit Lions team that put up 35 points in the season opener and that looked way sharper offensively than most analysts predicted.
The Lions have one of the best runners in the game and Jared Goff avoided some of his signature mistakes in the opener. So, even if they couldn’t get the win, there are still some signs of promise and improvement for the Lions.
Players to watch:
Carson Wentz: Not many people trusted Carson Wentz to have a strong debut, but he was slinging the football very nicely throughout the whole afternoon. He completed 27 of 341 passes for 313 yards and four scores, although he did have two interceptions. Will he have two good games in a row?
D’Andre Swift: The Detroit Lions will need to lean heavily on D’Andre Swift if they’re real about winning games this season. He’s coming off rushing for 144 yards and one score in 15 attempts, adding three receptions for 31 yards.
Week 2 Predictions: NFL Bet of the week on Commanders vs Lions
Lions -1.5
The opening Commanders vs Lions has the home team favored for the first time since 2020. Yeah, it’s been a long time since the Detroit Lions were expected and projected to win a football game, and for very good reasons.
The Lions looked solid on the offensive side of the football, and they did limit the Philadelphia Eagles’ plethora of weapons in the first and fourth quarters of the game. They struggled against the run, but will now face a second-string RB in Antonio Gibson.
This will be a step down in class for the Lions, which should be more prepared to host the Commanders after a tough season opener vs. the much-improved Philadelphia Eagles. On the flip side, the Lions are a step up in class for the visitors after hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Carson Wentz looked solid on his return to the NFC East, but the Commanders still totaled just 390 yards vs. a subpar defense like Jacksonville’s. So, even though this won’t be pretty by any means, we still expect the Lions to run away with the win.
Under 48.5
The Commanders vs Lions odds have the game total projected at 48.5 points, which seems like way too many. Yeah, the Lions put up 35 points in the opener, but they were helped by some defensive miscues which allowed explosive plays.
The Lions took a run-heavy approach in their first game of the season, as they should. Trustin Jared Goff to make plays will always come back to hurt you, especially with a star running back as D’Andre Swift locked in a ready to carry the load.
The same goes for the Commanders. Wentz did throw for four touchdowns, but he also had two interceptions. Both quarterbacks are turnover prone and could be in for a tough evening in Downtown Detroit.
We expect both teams to try and control the tempo of the game, take a run-heavy offensive approach, and drain out the clock every chance they got. They need to take the ball away from their QBs, so this has the makings of a low-scoring matchup.
FAQs about Commanders vs Lions
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This game will be played at Ford Field in Detroit.
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No, he’s on the PUP list right now.
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