Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs: Week 1 odds and prediction

The 2023 NFL season is finally upon us, to be launched by the Detroit Lions taking on the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night. The Lions are of course one of the buzziest teams in the league, as the favorites to win the NFC North and perhaps end a long drought without a playoff win.

The Lions are of course publicly embracing the challenge of playing the defending Super Bowl champions on a big stage. Quarterback Jared Goff has previous experience in a high-scoring affair against the Chiefs from a memorable Monday night game when he played for the Rams, and he is embracing that it could very well happen again.

Via FanDuel Sportsbook, here are odds for the Lions-Chiefs season opener followed by a prediction.

Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs: Week 1 odds and prediction

Point Spread:
Lions: +6.5 (-105)
Chiefs: -6.5 (-115)

Moneyline:
Lions: +235
Chiefs: -290

Over/Under (54.5 points):
Over: -105
Under: -115

Prediction: Chiefs 34, Lions 28

It's no surprise, on FanDuel and almost surely every other sports book, that Lions-Chiefs is the highest over-under on the Week 1 NFL slate. Two top-tier offenses going against defenses that have question marks (Chris Jones looks likely to be out for the Chiefs due to a hold out) could push the total a little higher before kickoff.

The Lions can make a serious statement by going into Arrowhead and leaving with a victory. For some people there's a "just don't get blown out" element to the game, even if they don't pull the upset. Even in a loss, the Lions can show they are ready to meet the expectations and hype that have been around them for months.

In terms of the betting lines, I've got the Lions narrowly covering the +6.5, the Chiefs on the moneyline and the over on the 54.5-point total coming in pretty comfortably.

Note: Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.