DETROIT – The Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs are ready to kick off the NFL season on Thursday night in a matchup that pits an exciting underdog against the Super Bowl favorite.
Detroit overcame a terrible 1-6 start last year to finish with a winning record in the second season under Dan Campbell. Jared Goff’s resurgence and major improvements on defense led to eight wins in the final 10 games and a near playoff appearance.
Now, with a clean slate and a few new free agent additions to the secondary, the Lions are widely expected to get back to the postseason for the first time since January 2017. They’re the betting favorites to win the NFC North for the first time in the division’s history.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, are no stranger to massive expectations. They’ll celebrate last season’s Super Bowl championship before kickoff Thursday, and then immediately turn the page to winning another one. Kansas City is the favorite to win it all again this year.
Here’s all the information you need for the game:
Kickoff time
- 8:20 p.m. Thursday
How to watch
- TV: NBC
- Online stream: Peacock
Betting odds
- Spread: Kansas City -4.5
- Total: 53
- Moneyline: Chiefs -218, Lions +180