Can the Detroit Lions weather the storm following the departure of OC Ben Johnson? Unfortunately for them, Johnson is still in the NFC North, just coaching a new team in the Chicago Bears.
Our football experts Chris Raybon and Stuckey break down their predictions for the entire division, plus a couple of NFL futures bets they like.
Continue below for their favorite NFC North NFL futures predictions, which include team total bets for Minnesota and Detroit.
NFL Futures — NFC North Predictions
| NFL Futures Picks |
|---|
| Lions Under 10.5 Wins (-120) |
| Vikings Under 8.5 Wins (+145) |
Lions Under 10.5 Wins (-120)
Sell! Sell! Sell!
Let's start with the Lions, who are coming off that embarrassing playoff loss to the Commanders last year. Detroit's win total is around 10. I think the under is a sharp play because I think the Lions take a step back this season.
I bet the Lions' team total under at 10.5 a couple months ago; I project them to go 9-6. Under 10.5 wins at even-money was great, and I still like it even if it's juiced a bit.
Yes, they were unlucky last year defensively with their injuries, but they were also lucky everywhere else. They went 7-2 in one-score games, basically winning four games in the final minutes.
Now, you lose your coordinators. The loss of Ben Johnson to the Bears is massive. You lose Frank Ragnow; you lose Kevin Zeitler. The interior of the offensive line, which Jared Goff desperately needs in order to succeed, is now a major question.
They also have a brutal road schedule — though to be fair, everyone in this division has a tough schedule. But the Lions' road games are at Green Bay, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Washington, Philly, Minnesota, Chicago, and at the Rams.
That's as bad as it gets. Plus, the Lions are playing four more outdoor games this year than they did last year, and Goff is notoriously much better indoors than he is outdoors.
I don't think they're going to be as opportunistic as they were last year. They benefited from so many turnovers. Their defense could be feisty, but I'm also not as high on the Lions' defensive unit as many of my colleagues.
Vikings Under 8.5 Wins (+145)
There's plenty of uncertainty regarding the QB situation, given JJ McCarthy has never made an NFL start. But remember, going into last season, everyone was down on the Vikings once it became clear it was going to be Sam Darnold instead of McCarthy.
Then they surprised people by winning 14 games. But now this feels like an overcorrection where they're putting too much faith in McCarthy.
The Vikings are really just a .500-caliber team that tends to overperform thanks to their coaching staff. However, this year is going to be more difficult because the division is much tougher than it has been in recent seasons.
There are no easy outs in the division coaching-wise anymore, with Dan Campbell, Matt LaFluer, and Ben Johnson.
Kevin O'Connell isn't going to coach circles around everyone, so yeah, I think I'm selling the Vikings.
I don't like the fact that Justin Jefferson has been hurt. Aaron Jones is declining. Jordan Mason was great last year, but are they going to give him the bulk of the carries? How quickly would they turn away from Jones if he struggles?
TJ Hockenson wasn't the same last year. Will he bounce back? Or is this just who he is now?
The fact that they signed Josh Oliver to an extension means they might already be a little bit worried about the passing game or they want to go heavier.
I see some warning signs with the Vikings and a wide range of possible outcomes. I can't get there with Minnesota as an above-.500 team this season.
