Washington Commanders vs Detroit Lions Divisional Playoff Picks 1/18/2025

Commanders vs Lions Betting Odds

In the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs, the Washington Commanders will visit the Detroit Lions. Washington is looking to build on their upset win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round, while the Lions are getting set to begin their playoffs after a bye. Detroit is the favorite going into this matchup, as they will look to protect home field and get to the NFC title game for the second year in a row.

Here, we will break down Commanders vs Lions from a betting perspective. You will find our keys to this game below and some reasons that the game could go for or against either side. We will also provide our best bet for this playoff matchup, as both teams look to get a win that would move them just two wins away from a championship.

Commanders Look For Second Straight Road Upset Win

In the Wild Card round, NFL odds had the Washington Commanders as three-point underdogs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But the Commanders overcame those odds to win over Tampa on the road. Now the Commanders will look for another road win to reach the NFC Championship Game in the first year of Jayden Daniels’ promising professional career.

Daniels showed incredible poise in the face of pressure in big moments last week for the Commanders. He converted on several key fourth downs, with Washington showing supreme confidence in him by going for it on fourth down time and time again. Now Daniels will have to prove himself against a higher level of opponent, as the Lions have proven difficult for even the best teams in the NFL to beat.

Lions Begin Postseason After Bye

The Detroit Lions will kick off their postseason campaign in the Divisional playoffs after getting a first-round bye as the top seed in the NFC. Detroit went 15-2 in the regular season, beating the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18 to secure the number one spot in their conference. While the Lions got some extra rest by earning that bye, there will be questions about the Lions coaching staff going into this Divisional round matchup.

Detroit has had multiple assistant coaches interview for other jobs recently. This isn’t college football, so it is not like we are going to see those assistants bail in the middle of the playoffs. But everyone has to be at their best for a team to have playoff success and one has to wonder if the career prospects of their coaches could get in the way of a run to the title for the NFC’s top seed.

Commanders vs Lions Prediction

Our best bet for Commanders vs Lions in the Divisional playoffs is for the Detroit Lions to cover the spread at home. The bye week was significant for a Lions team that has been dealing with injuries all season. We expect the coaching staff of Detroit to be locked in despite their interviews with other teams lately and for the superiority of the Lions to shine through as they get back to the NFC title game for a second consecutive season.

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