Talk about a scary thought this Halloween season. Just when you were starting to get over the trauma from the 2008 Detroit Lions, could another dubious disaster be in the making before our very eyes?
Except this time, instead of just 0-16, the Lions could be the pioneers of poop, forerunners of feces and seekers of scat: The first 0-17 season.
Many longtime Lions fans have probably penciled in Detroit for the first season of complete drudgery.
But how about this year, the first of the NFL’s extended schedule?
Well, now you can bet on it at Michigan sportsbooks. You could break the jinx with a bet or at least profit from pain in the latest exercise of Detroit Lions betting.
Will the Detroit Lions go 0-17? You can bet on it.
First, there’s plenty of football to be played.
The Lions are 0-7 at this writing and are two missed long, looooong field goals from actually being 2-5 this year.
First-year head coach Dan Campbell has cried his way to the hearts of the media and some of the fickle fan base. There’s no scenario where his job is on the line after one season.
Well, almost no scenario.
As Rod Marinelli will tell you, a winless season is a whole different thing altogether.
DraftKings Sportsbook puts new spin on 0-17 possibilities
It’s not all negative at DraftKings Sportsbook. The Michigan sports betting market leader had a fresh take on how to approach the Lions’ season before the Week 8 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
You can certainly pick Detroit to go 0-17 (at +850 odds, as of this writing). Or, you can pick exactly which week they’ll grab elusive win No. 1.
This Sunday’s moneyline odds were at +155 as of Friday afternoon. In future weeks …
- at Pittsburgh: +500
- at Cleveland: +600
- vs. Chicago: +475
- vs. Minnesota: +900
- at Denver: +2000
- vs. Arizona: +2800
- at Atlanta: +2800
- at Seattle: +3500
- vs. Green Bay: +2000
It’s worth reiterating that these moneyline odds are different because of the calculus required to understand the precise week that the first win will arrive.
Dramatic shift in 0-17 market at PointsBet Sportsbook
PointsBet Sportsbook was the first Michigan sports betting operator to offer up odds on Detroit reaching the dubious distinction.
Earlier this month, with Detroit at 0-5, the sportsbook publicized a market on social media with the Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars both at +1500 to finish 0-17. By later in the week, the Lions’ odds had shortened to +1400. You could also have bet that the Lions won’t go 0-17 at -2000 (a $20 bet wins a buck).
Well, Jacksonville won finally, and the Lions lost again. Then again. There was a dramatic shift with the Lions odds, and after losing to Cincinnati for the 0-6 mark, the Lions were just +800 to go 0-17.
After losing to the Los Angeles Rams and falling to 0-7, Detroit was still +800 to go 0-17 at PointsBet and -1250 to not go 0-17.
At Caesars Sportsbook, the Lions were +1000 to go 0-17 after the Rams loss.
Other Michigan sportsbooks getting in on the action
If you aren’t feeling the 0-17 bet, but you can still have some stakes on the rest of the Detroit season.
At BetMGM Sportsbook, for instance, you can wager at +700 if any team will go 0-17. According to the sportsbook, 50.2% of handle for the market is indeed on the Lions to finish 0-17.
Other leaders for the market are 11.2% of handle is on the Lions to get their first win on Thanksgiving (Week 12) against the Chicago Bears, 11.1% of handle is on them to beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, and 8.5% of handle on the Lions to beat the Denver Broncos in Week 14 for their first win.
Overall, the newest over/under totals this week at BetRivers Sportsbook, Caesars, DraftKings and FanDuel Sportsbook for the Lions were at 2.5 wins.
Will the Lions win a game this season?
It’s a great question. The best chances seem to be soon.
Anything can happen on any given Sunday, but strong possible win candidates could be:
- This Sunday at home against Philadelphia (Lions +1 over the summer; +3.5 on game week)
- Nov. 25 (Thanksgiving) at home against Chicago (Lions +3.5 summer)
- Dec. 5 at home against Minnesota (Lions +4 summer)
- Dec. 26 at Atlanta (Lions +7.5 summer … the Falcons are just bad.)
- Jan. 9 at home vs. Green Bay (no summer line because of Week 18 rest/playoff uncertainty)
