The Detroit Lions are in the 2024 NFC Championship. Read that again. And let it sink in. It has never happened before.
The franchise’s best years came long before the NFL playoffs incorporated conference championships. And not only is Detroit playing the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, January 28 for the 2024 NFC title, but they’re actually hosting the game. The question is: Are they ready to make the most of the opportunity set before them?
- What: Detroit Lions vs. San Francisco 49ers
- Date: Sunday, January 28, 2024
- Time: 6:30 p.m. eastern standard time
- Where: Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan
- Point Spread: 49ers (-7), Lions (+7)
Unfortunately for Lions fans, the latest odds to win the NFC conference championship don’t give Detroit much of a chance against the Niners:
| Favorite |  | | Underdog |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | -330 | +265 | Detroit Lions |
While you’re here, please remember to keep double-checking these online NFL playoff betting odds until you actually submit your wager. Our Lions vs. 49ers betting odds are accurate entering Tuesday, January 23. That gives the best NFL online betting sites plenty of time to make adjustments leading into opening kick-off on January 28.
Nobody will be surprised that the 49ers are heavy favorites to win the NFC Championship. Ever since they emerged from their midseason losing streak, they’ve had a stranglehold on those NFL futures. But the Lions did not win 12 regular season games by accident. Their offense is legitimately terrifying. And let’s not forget: San Francisco just barely put away the Green Bay Packers last week in the divisional round. Factor in home-field advantage for the Lions, and is there a possibility we have an upset in the works? Let’s find out.
Should the 49ers be This Heavily Favored to Win the NFC Championship?
When you look at the vitals of both these teams, the Niners have a clear advantage. But many of those numbers may need to be thrown out the window during the NFC Championship.
Star wide receiver Deebo Samuel is currently questionable to play vs. the Lions with a shoulder injury. And if he’s unable to take the field, it could spell a death knell for San Francisco’s offense. This isn’t hyperbole, either. Consider what Adam H. Beasley wrote for Pro Football Network:
“[Brock] Purdy was spectacular this season when Samuel was on the field. He looked very ordinary when Samuel was not. In the two games Samuel missed—both San Francisco losses—the Niners scored a total of 34 points, and Purdy’s passer rating was 87.9.”
Having Samuel on the field would obviously be huge for the Niners. But even if he plays, he could be extremely limited. At the very least, the Lions may not guard him as aggressively, which makes life difficult on everyone else.
Still, the Niners defense has carried them before. It should be up to the task again. San Francisco will concede some yards through the air to Jared Goff. But it will also shut off Detroit’s rushing attack and coax the Lions into turnovers. The Niners rank third in points allowed per game and have the NFL’s second-highest interception rate.
Indeed, the inconsistency of their offense cannot be understated. We saw it at play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team they were favored to beat by nearly 10 points and barely upended by a field goal. But defenses shine brighter the deeper you get into the playoffs. The NFC Championship will be no exception.
OSB Prediction: San Francisco 49ers (-330)
Do the Lions Have the Firepower to Remain within Striking Distance of San Francisco?
Out of Detroit’s five losses during the regular season, only two came by more than a touchdown. And this ability to “hang” is reflected in the latest NFC Championship point spread betting odds:
- San Francisco 49ers, -7 (-104)
- Detroit Lions, +7 (-118)
The public is pouncing on the Detroit Lions point spread in the early going. So much so, in fact, that linemakers have already moved it from the open.
This is likely because of the Deebo Samuel injury. That makes sense. It will be harder for the Niners to create as much separation if their best pass-catcher isn’t in the fold or playing through injury.
Also, San Francisco has not recently blown out good or great offenses. They beat the Packers by just three points in the divisional round. They lost to the Los Angeles Rams by one point in Week 18. And they lost to the Baltimore Ravens by two touchdowns in Week 16. Detroit should be able to hang around, especially if they just Jared Goff to shoulder heavier volume through the air.
OSB Prediction: Detroit Lions, +7 (-118)
Oddsmakers are Predicting a 2024 NFC Championship Clash That’s Heavy on Scoring
Whenever San Francisco’s defense comes to town, we tend to brace for a low scoring total. But the latest NFC Championship over/under betting odds suggest that Lions vs. 49ers will be an offensive affair:
- Over 50.5 (-115)
- Under 50.5 (-105)
Seeing the point total climb over 50 is genuinely surprising for us. It’s even more shocking that most of the 49ers vs. Lions betting has favored the “over.”
We can’t get there. Even with Detroit fielding one of the most forgiving secondaries in the business, the Samuel injury looms large over San Francisco’s offense. We could see them rely on the ground game more, which would play into some of Detroit’s more recent strengths.
More than that, even when the Niners have struggled against top-tier offenses, the defense has still generally limited them to under 25 points. The final score of this game should still end up in the 40s. But we have a hard time preparing for 51-plus points’ worth of action.
OSB Prediction: Under 50.5 (-105)
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