The New Orleans Saints (0-0) and Detroit Lions (0-0) will face off in NFL Week 1 today. Kickoff is set for in 1:00 p.m. ET from Ford Field in Detroit, Mich. The game will broadcast live on FOX.
The Lions are favored by -7 with the over/under set at 50.5 total points. Lions are a -331 favorite to win outright, while the Saints are +262 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Saints vs Lions predictions for NFL Week 1.
My Saints vs Lions Prediction
- Saints vs Lions pick: Over 49.5
My Saints vs Lions best bet is on game totals, with the best price currently available at FanDuel. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NFL odds page and download the Action Network app to get more picks for NFL Week 1.
Saints vs Lions Odds
| Saints Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7 -115 | 50.5 -105o / -112u | +262 |
| Lions Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7 -105 | 50.5 -105o / -112u | -331 |
Saints vs Lions NFL Week 1 Preview
New Orleans Saints Betting Preview
Second-year starter Tyler Shough will try to build on the success he finished the 2025 season with, and he has a very good chance to do so against one of the least talented secondaries in the sport.
Shough took over under center for Kellen Moore’s offense in Week 9 and he displayed steady improvement while stabilizing the Saints' offense. Shough completed 68% of his passes for the remainder of the season — the 6th-best mark out of all quarterbacks during that stretch.
Shough was also razor sharp when the Saints made their way into the red zone, boasting the league’s best red-zone touchdown rate, albeit on a small sample size.
The issue for the offense was the lack of scoring opportunities — one significant reason for the limited amount of chances was the health of the offensive line a year ago. Only the Chargers, as a unit, suffered from worse health up front than the Saints in total numbers of snaps missed by projected starters.
Offensive line aficionado Brandon Thorn ranks the Saints as the 6th-best unit in the NFL heading into the 2026 season with the addition of guard David Edwards.
Edwards is a veteran guard who will anchor the left side and is rock-solid in pass protection — only All-Pros Joe Thuney and Quenton Nelson allowed fewer “quick pressures” in 2025.
The Lions' pass rush is undoubtedly a formidable unit, but the Saints have the talent to hold up in pass protection. This will allow Shough to attack a vulnerable Lions secondary missing both starting safeties, Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph.
It is worth noting the Lions ranked 26th in the league a year ago in terms of allowing chunk gains of 20+ yards to opposing offenses.
Detroit Lions Betting Preview
Historically, early season games under Lions head coach Dan Campbell have produced an abundance of points when the game is played at Ford Field.
When looking at the first four games for the Lions in their home stadium over the last two seasons, they have only been held to under 24 points once, with an average score of 33.7 points being posted. In total, those games have averaged a combined 52.5 points per game — a full three points above the total oddsmakers have assigned to their home opener against the Saints.
Jared Goff has hit the ground running when evaluating his performances in the team’s home openers over the last three seasons.
Goff has completed 75% of his attempts with nine touchdown passes and just two interceptions. He should continue his success in yet another home debut, considering he is facing a Saints defense that finished 29th in pressure rate.
The New Orleans defense may have steadily improved a season ago, but it still has a lot to prove when it comes to creating havoc and disrupting quarterback play. To no surprise, Goff was spectacular from a clean pocket in 2025, ranking second in the NFL with a 121.7 passer rating with no pressure faced.
I expect Campbell to be aggressive in orchestrating a game plan that pushes for touchdowns behind a pass-heavy approach.
Jahmyr Gibbs is one of the most explosive skill-position players the league has to offer, but limiting his total number of carries won’t be an easy task as the Lions’ No. 2 running back (Sione Vaki) is completely unproven following the offseason departure of David Montgomery.
One way to counteract this conundrum is to simply pass the football at a high rate. With Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta in tow and healthy, this is my expectation against the lack of pass rush for the Saints.
Saints vs Lions Prediction, Betting Analysis
Points will not be at a premium in this game — I expect both teams to move up and down the field in an efficient manner.
It seems like a futile effort to try to predict whether the Lions will win this contest in the type of game that finishes 31-27 or 34-24 in their quest to cover the spread. Either way, I love the idea of the scoreboard lighting up in what should be one of the more entertaining games of Week 1.
Lastly, it is worth reminding bettors, as Evan Abrams pointed out in his betting primer, 66% of all Lions home games have seen the over cash since the beginning of the 2020 season. I’d happily play this total up to the key number of 51.
Pick: Over 49.5; bet to 51
Spread
According to Vegas Insider, Detroit is laying 7 points in DraftKings' NFL odds Week 1 market (as of 2 p.m. ET Wednesday). That matches DK's May opener — the Lions haven't moved off -7.
Detroit is drawing 74% of early spread tickets and 67% of early spread money.
- For the latest from sportsbooks nationwide, check out VegasInsider's NFL Week 1 Odds & Action Report.
Moneyline
I'm also not betting on either side of the moneyline.
Over/Under
As mentioned above, there's real shootout potential in this game and I am betting the over up to 51 points.
