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Detroit Lions: Odds of winning Super Bowl are low … for now

By Justin Ochsner

FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 22: Trey Flowers #98 of the New England Patriots heads to the sideline after being treated by the trainers against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter in the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium on January 22, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 22: Trey Flowers #98 of the New England Patriots heads to the sideline after being treated by the trainers against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter in the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium on January 22, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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While the Detroit Lions enjoyed a successful first day of free agency last week, none of it matter to the oddsmakers for the Super Bowl.The first week of free agency has passed and the Detroit Lions made major moves on the first day while slowly addressing other needs throughout the week. They landed one of the highest profile players on the market in defensive end Trey Flowers while plugging holes at cornerback, wide receiver and tight end.

Despite these projected starters and impact players being signed, the oddsmakers in Las Vegas are giving the Lions no love. According to MLive.com, Detroit opened as 80-1 favorites to win the Super Bowl. Evidently plugging holes in the roster doesn’t automatically translate into winning in the NFL … unless you’re the Cleveland Browns (14-1 odds).

The 2019 Detroit Lions are tied with numerous teams for the third worst odds to win the big game. The good news, odds don’t really matter when it comes to winning football games. Also, the NFL draft hasn’t even taken place. No meaningful football practices have been held. The entire offseason is still on the horizon.

There’s still time – and cap space – for the Lions to make big moves and improve their roster. After all of their signings, the team still has $29.45 million to play with. While the draft usually eats up $5 million and the team usually holds about $5 million to use during the season, that still leaves roughly $20 million they could spend this year.

The numbers mean that if the Lions wanted to bring in someone with a larger price tag this season, they could. If the wanted to trade and negotiate with another player, say Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson, they could make it happen. If they wanted to make a bigger draft day trade, that’s on the table as well.

While back-loaded free agent contracts can lead to cap trouble down the road, it also allows the Lions to make moves today that could help them win now. It might not help with their chances according to Las Vegas, but it could help them on the field where it matters most. And that’s what fans should be concerned with.

Next. Ranking the Lions’ first round picks since 2010. dark

Odds are fun to look at and might be a general projection or outlook for the season … until the games are played. Then all the odds and betting can be skewed and thrown out the window. I’ll sit back and wait for the rest of the offseason to take place before buying into the Detroit Lions odds for 2019.

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