Eagles vs. Lions Week 1 game preview and predictions

It’s here.

We made it to Week 1.

The wait for this Eagles season to start probably felt longer than others in recent history. This is Philadelphia’s most anticipated campaign in years.

It’s not hard to understand why. Howie Roseman did a great job of improving the Eagles’ roster this offseason. The addition of A.J. Brown could prove to be a game-changer for the offense. The defense is loaded with new names such as Haason Reddick, Jordan Davis, Kyzir White, James Bradberry, Chaucney Gardner-Johnson, and Nakobe Dean.

Of course, hype hardly guarantees success. It’s actually often gone the opposite way for the Eagles. Are expectations too high? There are some big questions that remain when it comes to the team’s starting quarterback, head coach, and defensive coordinator.

One thing that can be said for that trio is that they know how to beat the bad teams. The Eagles mostly took care of inferior opponents in 2021. With that in mind, it’s easy to believe they can start the season 1-0 by beating the Lions in Detroit. The Eagles are favored, per our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook.

The Lions could prove to be dangerous early on. They have a sold out crowd and you know Dan Campbell is going to be out for revenge after the Eagles’ 44 to 6 win at Ford Field last year.

But effort and attitude can only go so far. There are several matchups working in the Eagles’ favor, such as Philly’s defensive interior going up against an injured Lions offensive line. Jared Goff is prone to crumbling and fumbling (I’m Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier now) when pressured. He’s probably going to turn the ball over at some point.

The Lions also lack obvious answers to what the Eagles can do on offense. Detroit’s run defense ranked 31st in DVOA last year and it’s hard to see how it’s majorly improved. The Birds should be able to pound the rock. Hurts should also be able to throw when necessary with no one really able to cover A.J. Brown. It should be a big day for No. 11.

All told, there’s no good reason for the Eagles to lose this one. If they want to be taken seriously, they need to go out and turn in a convincing win.

Time for the results to justify the hype.

For more, check out BGN’s weekly NFL game predictions and NFL picks against the spread.

Suggested format:

Score prediction:

Bold prediction:

My predictions:

Score prediction: 31 to 17, Eagles win.

Bold prediction: Miles Sanders scores two touchdowns after having zero last season.

Your predictions:

Leave your own score predictions in the comments.

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.