Getty Matthew Stafford fires a pass against the Jaguars.
The Detroit Lions have been one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL this season, and the team hasn’t been favored at all in many of their recent games.
All of that is set to change once the Lions get back on the field next week. When the Lions come back off the bye, they are seen as 2.5 point favorites against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Someone likes the Lions when they come off the bye, Vegas favors them by 2.5 points over the Jaguars in the early in their first game back.
Who ya got???
The last few weeks, the Lions have been massive underdogs and this news is certainly interesting. The Jaguars have competed in games this season, while the Lions have lost a bunch of games they probably should have won.
Detroit probably would not have been favored if they were playing any other team in the league not from New York, but this week, the team will have this to work with as they try to save their season and stop the bleeding early on.
Lions Have Easier Schedule Starting Soon
The Detroit Lions schedule, which certainly was tough to start based on the teams they’ve already played, will lighten up considerably. As ESPN’s Mike Clay explained, the Lions have one of the top 5 easiest schedules remaining in the league for 2020, checking in at the No. 5 position.
Easiest remaining schedule:
1. Chiefs
2. Cowboys
3. Browns
4. Packers
5. Lions
Hardest remaining schedule:
1. 49ers
2. Rams
3. Jets
4. Bills
5. Broncos
(per my metrics)
For the team, this is a double edged sword. An easy schedule could theoretically help the Lions claw back to respectability, or it could create a situation where Patricia is losing to teams he should beat while potentially blowing more leads and making more of a case to be fired.
Regardless, the Lions could have a shot to turn things around decently with this schedule.
Lions Upcoming 2020 Schedule
After the bye week, the Detroit schedule takes a very positive turn after a difficult start. Following this bye week, Detroit plays the Jaguars, Falcons and Colts, Vikings, Washington, the Panthers and Texans.
All of those teams have struggled in recent weeks in their own way, so the Lions could theoretically find themselves in a position to make a potential midseason run at the postseason if they are able to handle their own business. Out of the group, the Colts have the best current record at 3-1.
The Lions, of course, are 1-3 themselves, so teams are likely looking at them and thinking they managed to get on the right side of a soft schedule. Additionally, some of those teams could turn their seasons around before it’s too late. Still, if the Lions can grab some momentum from their bye week and maximize it, it would help them perhaps get things back on the right track.
Detroit’s schedule, however, was long seen as fairly soft. So far, that’s proven true, which could set the team up for a chance at a major run in the coming weeks if only they can put everything together. So far this season, that’s remained the problem.
In Week 6, they could start out with decent odds of being able to pull out a small victory to perhaps start the comeback.
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Lions Open as Very Narrow Week 6 Favorites Over Jaguars