Preseason prop bets are a fun way to put your money where your mouth is for the upcoming season. With the NFL season kicking off on Thursday night, there’s precious little time to get those futures bets on a ticket.
The sportsbook at BetMGM has a few season prop bets for the Detroit Lions on the board. From season win total to individual goals for Amon-Ra St. Brown and Aidan Hutchinson, and even the odds to win the Super Bowl, there are quite a few to choose from. Here’s how we see some of those prop bets playing out for the Lions in 2024.
Remember–don’t bet any money you can’t afford to lose!
Lions to win the NFC North (+130)
Detroit Lions’s NFC North division champions banner at indoor practice field of Detroit Lions headquarters and training facility in Allen Park on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024.
The Lions won the division last year. This time around, they’re favorites to win the NFC North again. It’s not a great payout at +135, but that also means it’s a likely outcome. Good bet for posterity and likelihood, but not a great betting investment.
Amon-Ra St. Brown to win Offensive Player of the Year (+1400)
Jan 21, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half in a 2024 NFC divisional round game at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports
St. Brown is coming off an All-Pro season, earning a lucrative new payout. He’s also gaining cachet around the league–which is critically important for postseason award voting. St. Brown is seventh in the odds to win the award, odds which don’t include quarterbacks until much deeper in the odds.
If St. Brown has the type of year some think he will, and the Lions are again a legit contender, the +1400 payout is a longshot lottery ticket with a good reward. However, it’s very tough for a wide receiver to win this award without posting a boatload of touchdowns; Lions Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson never won it, even in his record-setting seasons.
Aidan Hutchinson to win AP Defensive Player of the Year
Dec 10, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Detroit Lions defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson (97) pressures Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) in the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
This is a scratch-off lottery ticket I really like. In fact, I made it my “best bet” in our collection of top wagers for each NFL team. The +1000 line is strong for Hutchinson, who sits sixth in the odds. Winning and sacks matter a ton in this category, and No. 97 and the Lions both figure to rack up a lot of each.
Lions to win 11 or more games (-135)
ALLEN PARK, MICHIGAN – JULY 28: Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes (L) and head football coach Dan Campbell talk after the Detroit Lions Training Camp on July 28, 2021 in Allen Park, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Detroit won 12 last year, but now they’re tasked with a first-place schedule as well as an improved division around them. Well, Chicago and Green Bay seem improved anyway…
I think the Lions win either 11 or 12 games in the regular season. The optimist in me likes them to win 12, but that’s not going to be easy with a brutal stretch of road games in the middle of the schedule.
Sam LaPorta over 850.5 receiving yards (-110)
Lions tight end Sam LaPorta runs against 49ers safety Tashaun Gipson Sr., left, during the first half of the NFC championship game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024.
As a rookie, LaPorta hit 890 receiving yards. Given the Lions lack of proven depth at wide receiver, it’s entirely possible that LaPorta shatters that mark as a player I expect to be second on the team in targets and receptions (behind St. Brown).
The only real concern here is health. Getting that many yards requires playing all the time. LaPorta missed time this summer and did have a knee scare in the postseason. So far he’s proven durable, but that many catches means a lot of contact, too.
Terrion Arnold to win AP Defensive Rookie of the Year (+1400)
Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold (0) walks off the field after practice during OTAs at Detroit Lions headquarters and training facility in Allen Park on Thursday, May 30, 2024.
Opportunity is the name of the game for individual awards, and Arnold has that. He’ll start right away and has already shown in training camp that he’s not going to shy away from trying to make plays. Arnold is the top CB in the odds, just ahead of Quinyon Mitchell.
It will require some interceptions and pass breakups to top the defensive linemen ahead of Arnold in the odds, including favorite Laiatu Latu of the Colts. However, if teams decide to pick on the rookie Arnold instead of the veteran Carlton Davis on the outside, there will be opportunities for No. 0 to get his hands on some passes.
Lions to win the Super Bowl (+1200)
Feb 26, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Detailed view of the Super XLI Vince Lombardi Trophy to commemorate the Indianapolis Colts 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears on Feb 4, 2007 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The idea of the confetti raining down on Dan Campbell and the Lions as they hoist the Lombardi Trophy is a priceless dream for Lions fans. It’s a decent payout at +1200, but this strikes me as one of those bets you make just to have the ticket that shows you made the wager on the team you love, no matter the payoff.