Don’t look now, but the Detroit Lions are a .500 football team.
Following a dramatic win over the Atlanta Falcons, the Lions find themselves at 3-3 on the season.
Now, Detroit returns home to host the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (CBS) with a chance to become a winning team.
Will Michigan sports bettors opt to ride the momentum with the Lions, or will the Colts play spoiler?
Oddsmakers like the Colts on the road
Despite back-to-back wins for the Lions, Detroit finds itself as a home underdog this Sunday.
Oddsmakers are listing the Colts as a 2.5-point favorite on the road in most cases. DraftKings has the Colts as a 3.5-point road favorite currently. (Odds below as of 10:30 a.m. ET Oct. 29.)
| Colts at Lions Week 8 odds | BetMGM | DraftKings | FanDuel | PointsBet | William Hill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point spread (-110 juice unless noted) | IND -2.5 -121 DET +2.5 +100 | IND -3 DET +3 | IND -2.5 -130 DET +2.5 +106 | IND -2.5 -125 DET +2.5 +105 | IND -2.5 -125 DET +2.5 +105 |
| Moneyline | IND -167 DET +140 | IND -150 DET +132 | IND -164 DET +138 | IND -150 DET +130 | IND -160 DET +140 |
| Total points (-110 juice unless noted) | 0 50.5 U 50.5 | O 50 U 50 | O 50 -105 U 50 -115 | O 50 U 50 | O 50 U 50 |
The opening over/under is listed at 51 points for most sportsbooks. BetMGM has it at 50.5 points.
When it comes to the moneyline, the Lions are getting anywhere from +130 to +140 odds. The Colts are anywhere from –150 to -162.
Lions can even all-time series with Colts
The Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts have met 43 times in their history, and they have been pretty even. The Colts lead the all-time series 21-20-2.
In their last meeting on Sept. 11, 2016, the Lions snapped a four-game losing streak to the Colts with a 39-35 win in Indianapolis.
The underdog has covered the spread in the last three meetings, and the over has hit in the last three between these two.
Indy has struggled to cover in road games, going 1-4-1 against the spread in their last six away games. Detroit, however, is just 2-6 ATS in their last eight home games.
The early public betting is siding with the Lions, as Detroit is getting about 55% of the wagers on this game.
Lions manage unlikely comeback against Falcons
The Lions seemed to be certain for a loss on Sunday in Atlanta. But some things went their way to pick up a 23-22 win.
An ill-advised touchdown by the Falcons with just over a minute to play gave the Lions a chance to make something happen and Matthew Stafford did that. Stafford drove the Lions 75 yards on eight plays and found T.J. Hockenson on an 11-yard TD pass as time expired.
Following a penalty for celebrating, Matt Prater booted a 48-yard extra point to give the Lions the win.
The back-to-back wins for Detroit have to be partly attested to an improvement in the defense.
Heading into the bye week, the Lions had the league’s worst rushing defense. However, the Lions gave up just 44 rushing yards to Jacksonville and only 66 to the Falcons.
On Sunday, Detroit was without top corners Desmond Trufant and Justin Coleman due to hamstring injuries. Their status for this week is unknown at this time.
Matthew Stafford had one of his best games of the season against the Falcons, throwing for 340 yards on 25 of 36 passing.
Kenny Golladay continues to improve his upcoming salary, as he caught six passes for 114 yards in the win. Golladay is over 100 yards in his last two games as he is pursuing a new contract.
Colts will be fresh in Detroit
Indianapolis had a bye in Week 7, giving the Colts a chance to rest up for the Lions.
The Colts are 4-2 on the season after a 31-27 win at home over the Bengals in Week 6. Indianapolis overcame a 21-0 deficit in that victory.
The defense has been the strength for the Colts in 2020, as they are giving up just 19.2 points and 301.8 yards per game. Their run defense is allowing only 88.3 yards per game.
Offensively, the Colts aren’t pretty on offense, but effective. Indy is averaging 26.2 points and 367.2 yards per game this year.
Philip Rivers joined the roster after 16 years with the Chargers. He has thrown for 1,598 yards with seven touchdowns and six interceptions.
Rivers has spread the ball out well, as seven different receivers have over 100 yards and four over 180. One of those targets, tight end Mo Alie-Cox is dealing with a knee injury that caused him to sit out against the Bengals.
Rookie running back Jonathan Taylor has been a workhorse in the backfield, rushing for 367 yards and three touchdowns on 89 carries.
