Prime-Time First TD Bets — Sunday Night Football, Week 16
Alex Christenson
After being one of the most buzzworthy teams throughout the preseason thanks to rookie quarterback Trey Lance, the San Francisco 49ers draw arguably the easiest matchup of the week as they head to Ford Field in Detroit to take on a new-look Lions team.
The Lions, who went 7-9 against the spread in 2020 and 10-6 versus the over, will be an interesting team to watch, as quarterback Jared Goff is the first quarterback not named Matthew Stafford since 2009.
San Francisco 49ers @ Detroit Lions Week 1 odds
Date/Time: September 12, 1 p.m. ET
Arena: Ford Field
How to watch: FOX
Opening odds: 49ers -7.5 | O/U 45.5 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Latest 49ers-Lions odds
Looking for the latest odds for this matchup? Here are they courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- 49ers -7
- Total: 45.5
Opening odds – 49ers vs. Lions
Despite many still believing that there’s a chance we see rookie QB Trey Lance get the Week 1 starting nod, oddsmakers don’t seem to care who is under center for San Francisco, given how hopeless the outlook on the Lions is this season, as this game holds a three-way tie for the largest spread on the slate.
Detroit’s success against the over last year (10-6-0) seems great on paper but is hard to take with anything larger than a grain of salt given the change in quarterback. With Jared Goff at the helm to kick off the 2021 season, it remains to be seen how effective this offense will be. The speculation, however, is not necessarily hopeful.
Quarterback analysis – Jimmy Garoppolo (or Trey Lance) vs. Jared Goff
While we have yet to get an official statement from the 49ers regarding who the quarterback for Week 1 will be, the overwhelming belief is that Jimmy Garoppolo will get the chance to start the season. There is a chance, however, that he and Lance rotate on the field throughout the game, if the preseason is any indication.
If there’s any matchup where you may be able to afford toying around offensively like this, it’s the Lions. The Detroit offense got a bit of a facelift in the offseason with Goff commanding the unit, but the Lions also saw some changes at wide receiver. With both Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones gone, Goff doesn’t have much to work with outside of third-year tight end T.J. Hockenson. Without the ability to rely on the ground game or defense like he was able to in Los Angeles, Goff may have to attempt to improve on his 20:13 TD:INT ratio from a season ago, as 2020 was his first season below 4,000 yards since 2017. With his assortment of assets this season, however, it’s hard to have confidence in him taking a massive leap, especially against a stout defensive unit like the Niners.
Latest 49ers betting news & info
The entire sports world is holding its breath in anticipation of who’s going to be named the Week 1 starter for San Frnacisco, but regardless of who it is, this team as a whole has a lot to be excited about. George Kittle makes his return after playing only eight games in 2020, and running back Raheem Mostert enters 2021 with a clean bill of health, while Brandon Aiyuk recently returned to practice this week as well, indicating that all systems are go for Week 1.
A healthy offensive attack should help the Niners improve on 2020’s 7-9-0 record against the spread, and a Week 1 matchup with the Lions should help even more.
Latest Lions betting news & info
As previously mentioned, the Lions’ 10-6-0 record against the over and 7-9-0 record against the spread are hard to care about given their offensive overhaul. Individually, Goff has gone an unexciting 37-36-2 against the spread in his career, despite the Rams’ overall success as a team while he was there. On top of their quarterback’s underwhelming betting track record, their defense is worrisome, as they allowed the 10th-highest adjusted completion percentage last year (77.5%), and the most passing touchdowns (38) while only logging seven interceptions, the second-lowest mark in the NFL last season. Want more bad news? There’s also concern around D’Andre Swift’s groin injury, which could hamper one of their few glimmering hopes on offense. In other words, this could get ugly.
49ers vs. Lions betting picks – NFL Week 1
Because of the mess that the entirety of the Lions team is and how good the 49ers defense is, this is a spot where regardless of how the quarterback situation shakes out, I have confidence that they get it done. Taking the Niners -7.5 is my favorite bet in this game, but in terms of the total, I don’t have a strong lean one way or another, given the ability for the 49ers to put up points but also the Lions’ inability to do the same.
Here are our betting picks for 49ers vs Lions in Week 1.
FTNBets best bets
- Spread: SF -7 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Total: no bet
For more information, betting picks, and analysis, check out the FTN NFL Bet Tracker.
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How to bet on this game
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