The Detroit Lions not only saw their playoff hopes likely dashed on Sunday, but they also may have lost their quarterback.
Matthew Stafford suffered a rib injury in the 31-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday and his status for this week is uncertain.
What could that mean for the Lions vs. Titans game in Week 15 when they hit the road to take on Tennessee this upcoming Sunday?
Lions vs. Titans odds: Waiting on a Matthew Stafford update
The Titans (9-4, 4-3 at home) welcome the Lions (5-8, 4-3 away) to town on Sunday for a 1 p.m. ET game on Fox.
Few oddsmakers have listed odds for the game as of now with Stafford’s status for the game up in the air. As of Monday morning, only FanDuel Sportsbook had Lions vs. Titans odds.
The Titans opened as a 9.5-point home favorite. It was up to 10.5 points on Tuesday, and DraftKings Sportsbook also had the game listed.
By Wednesday, William Hill Sportsbook had posted the only over/under at 51.5 points. WH moved the line to 11 points by Thursday.
| Lions at Titans Week 15 odds | BetMGM | DraftKings | FanDuel | PointsBet | William Hill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point spread (-110 juice unless noted) | DET +10.5 -100 TEN -10.5 -120 | DET +11 -113 TEN -11 -108 | DET +10.5 -105 TEN -10.5 -115 | -- | DET +11 TEN -11 |
| Moneyline | DET +450 TEN -588 | DET +440 TEN -560 | DET +440 TEN -590 | -- | DET +450 TEN -600 |
| Total points (-110 juice unless noted) | O 51.5 U 51.5 | O 51.5 -105 U 51.5 -117 | O 51.5 U 51.5 | -- | O 51.5 U 51.5 |
(These odds were last updated at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 18.)
Sports betting in Michigan still remains a bit of a challenge at this time, as the pandemic order from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has the three Detroit casinos closed until at least Dec. 20.
To keep up on which tribal casinos are open for sports betting and when Detroit casinos will reopen, click here.
Titans dominant against Detroit
The Titans and the Lions don’t have much of a history against one another, as they have faced off just 12 times. Their last meeting was back in 2016.
Of the 12 meetings, Tennessee owns an impressive 9-3 record. That includes five consecutive victories.
Along with the wins, the Titans have also covered the spread in their last three against Detroit.
Some of the trends point toward a Lions cover at least. Despite being an indoor team on turf, the Lions are 4-1 ATS in their last five games on grass.
The Titans are coming off a dominant 31-10 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. However, the Titans have struggled following lopsided wins. They are just 8-17 ATS in their last 25 games following a win of more than 14 points.
Due to the Stafford injury, there is no public betting information for this game yet.
Lions vs. Titans: Is Matthew Stafford’s season over?
The Lions put up a spirited effort against the Packers on Sunday, covering the spread in a 7-point loss at home. But then came a series of unfortunate events.
With the Lions down 14 points in the fourth quarter, Stafford scrambled for a first down to the Green Bay 2-yard line. At the end of the play, he was folded up by Green Bay’s Kenny Clark and suffered a rib injury.
Stafford was unable to return to the field on Detroit’s next possession and needed X-rays on his ribs after the game.
Interim coach Darrell Bevell said it is too early to tell if Stafford will miss time, but did say “it’s going to take something drastic” to keep him off the field.
If Stafford is unable to play this week, or the rest of the season, many wonder if that scramble will be his final play in a Lions uniform.
Stafford has played 12 seasons for Detroit, but with a new general manager and head coach coming in, Stafford’s time with the Lions appears to be coming to an end sooner rather than later.
Detroit turns to backup QB Chase Daniel
Should Stafford be unable to play, Chase Daniel will get the start for the Lions.
Daniel came in for the final Lions possession on Sunday. He was 3 of 6 passing for 29 yards, leading Detroit to a field goal.
Daniel is a 12th-year NFL veteran that signed with the Lions on a three-year, $13.05 million deal in the 2020 offseason.
Over his career, Daniel has thrown for just 1,553 yards with eight touchdowns and six interceptions.
While Daniel is a veteran, the Lions offense certainly would take a hit without Stafford.
Stafford was having his best season since 2017, throwing for 3,522 yards and 22 TD’s with nine interceptions. He could have a big game against Tennessee, which is 29th in the NFL in passing defense (273.6 ypg).
Detroit’s offense is already in the bottom half of the NFL. Now it will have to rely more on its 30th-ranked run game (90.3 ypg). While D’Andre Swift returned to action on Sunday after missing the last three games due to a concussion/illness, he had just 24 yards on seven carries.
The Lions currently sit 10th in the NFC playoff standings. They are two games behind the Arizona Cardinals for the final playoff spot.
Titans stay atop AFC South
The Tennessee Titans maintained their slim lead in the AFC South on Sunday with the win over the Jaguars.
Both the Titans and the Indianapolis Colts are 9-4 on the season. The two split the season series, but the Titans currently have the tiebreaker with a better division record (4-1) than Indy (2-2).
Tennessee certainly presents a tough matchup for the Lions, especially with its rushing attack. The Titans are second in the NFL in rushing (157.8 ypg). They will be going up against the 29th-ranked run defense (132.8 ypg) in the Lions.
Derrick Henry is having a dominant season with 1,532 yards and 14 touchdowns rushing. He leads the NFL in rushing by nearly 200 yards. Henry is coming off a 215-yard day against the Jaguars on Sunday.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill has found his home in Tennessee and playing quite well this year. He has thrown for 3,209 yards and 28 TDs with just five interceptions.
Defensively, Tennessee has struggled, giving up 25.8 points and 387.5 yards per game. Their defensive front hasn’t produced much of a pass rush, amassing just 14 sacks in 12 games.
