The Lions—No Shock —Face Long Odds in Vegas
NFL Picks | by Mike O'Hara | 05.18.2009/2:57PM
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The Lions’ offseason moves haven’t boosted their standing in the eyes of the Las Vegas odds makers.
They’re at the bottom in every category in the future proposition bets – odds to win the NFC North, NFC championship and Super Bowl.
And the over-under on their win total for the 2009 regular season is the lowest of any of the 32 teams—five wins, with the money line favoring them to go under.
Last year’s over-under for the Lions ranged from 6 to 7, and they went under – as far under as possible, in fact. They became the first NFL team to go 0-16.
The Las Vegas Hilton Sports Book has released its NFL proposition bets, and the Lions are 100-1 to win the Super Bowl. The St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Bucs and Oakland Raiders also are 100-1.
The New England Patriots are favored at 4-1. Defending champion Pittsburgh are tied with the Giants for second choice at 10-1. The Arizona Cardinals, who lost to the Pittsburgh on a last-minute TD pass, are down the line at 30-1.
For the NFC Championship, the Lions are 75-1. The Giants are favored at 4-1, followed by the Eagles and Cowboys, both at 5-1.
The NFC line shows the power of the NFC East division. The Eagles, Cowboys and Giants all are in the East.
In the AFC, the Hilton favors the Patriots at 9-5. The Steelers are second choice at 9-2, with the Colts and Chargers tied for third choice at 6-1.
In division betting, the Lions are 20-1 to win the NFC North. The betting is tight in the North, with the Vikings favored at 3-2 followed by the Packers at 8-5 and the Bears at 2-1.
Not surprisingly, the Patriots are the biggest favorites in the division races. The Hilton makes them 1-4 to win the AFC East.
The biggest projected decline is for the Miami Dolphins. They’re picked last in the AFC East at 10-1 after going 11-5 last year to win the East.
The over-under on Miami’s win total is seven – a four-game decline from last year.
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Top NFL Analyst Gives Clue on Lions’ No. 1 Plan
NFL Picks | by Mike O'Hara | 04.8.2009/9:23AM
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Another shred of evidence on who the Lions will draft first overall comes from Dallas Morning News NFL columnist Rick “Goose” Gosselin.
It points to Matthew Stafford, as Gosselin wrote the following in his Tuesday column:
“I still think it’s 60-40 the Lions draft quarterback Matthew Stafford of the University of Georgia and Highland Park High School with the first overall pick of the 2009 NFL draft. Sure the Lions have had bad luck with the position, drafting busts Andre Ware, Chuck Long and Joey Harrington all with top 12 picks. But if you don’t have a quarterback in the NFL, you don’t have a chance. If you don’t have one, you should never stop trying to find one. The Lions don’t have a quarterback.”
Gosselin’s analysis is not a shot in the dark from an obscure Web head. He is regarded in NFL circles among the elite among media draft analysts.
Also, he is a native of Metro Detroit – a graduate of Grosse Pointe St. Paul High School and Michigan State – and he was at the Lions’ Allen Park facility last week, perhaps gathering information for his draft series in the Dallas Morning News.
So the preponderance of evidence is pointing to Stafford. What’s good for the Goose, is good for the Lions.
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