Week 1: Detroit Lions vs Philadelphia Eagles 9/11/22 NFL Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles square off Sunday in a week 1 NFL showdown from Ford Field. The Eagles are coming off a 9-8 record in 2021, eventually falling in the Wild Card Playoffs. As for the Lions, they had another rough campaign last season and finished 3-13-1 overall. Check back all season long for free NFL picks at Sports Chat Place. 

Philadelphia was something of a surprise playoff team last season, going 9-8 overall and finishing second in the NFC East. The Eagles started slow with a 2-5 record but picked up the pace in the later games. In the Wild Card Playoffs however, Philly lost to the Buccaneers 31-15. 

This preseason, the Eagles kicked things off with a 24-21 loss to the Jets. Philadelphia got their first exhibition win in game two versus the Browns 21-20, but then lost another one in game three 48-10 to the Dolphins. The Eagles gave up 494 yards of offense in that one. 

Over on the Lions’ side, they had another forgettable year in 2021. Detroit went 3-13-1 overall, which sent them to the basement of the NFC North once again. The Lions started out at 0-8 before notching a tie with the Steelers, and didn’t win a game until Week 13. 

The Lions scored pretty well over the first couple games in their preseason. Detroit fell 27-23 to the Falcons in the opener, but then bagged a 27-26 win over the Colts in game two. The Lions would finish off with something of a dud in a 19-9 loss to Pittsburgh. 

The Eagles are 5-2-1 ATS in their last eight as a favorite and 5-11 ATS in their last 16 road games. Philly is 1-4-1 ATS in their last six versus the NFC. 

Meanwhile, the Lions are 4-0 in their last four at home and 5-1 ATS in their last six versus the NFC. Detroit is 7-2 in their last nine overall. 

PICK: I’m probably staying with the Eagles in this one. We should have a pretty good division race out in the NFC East, and Philadelphia should certainly be a part of that. The Eagles have injected their defense with a bit of speed since last season, adding Haason Reddick and Nakobe Dean. With a well-rounded passing game anchored by QB Jalen Hurts, the Eagles could be significantly improved on both sides of the ball. 

As for Detroit, they’ve got some winnable games on the schedule and the team may very well take a step forward. That said, the Lions will likely still be looking up at everyone else in the division for most of the season.