Lions head coach Dan Campbell finds himself in some uncharted waters this week.
Campbell is heading into his 19th game in that job and he is leading a team favored to win its game for the first time. They are hosting the Commanders at Ford Field and sportsbooks currently have the Lions favored by somewhere from 1.5-2.5 points over the NFC East team.
As noted by Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com, the Lions’ run without being a favorite predates Campbell’s hiring. They have gone 24 straight games as an underdog, which is the longest current streak in the league. The last time they were in the favorite seat came against the Panthers on November 22, 2020.
The Lions were one-point favorites on the road against a Panther team quarterbacked by P.J. Walker in that game, but they were unable to come through for their backers. The Panthers shut them out 20-0 and the Lions will be looking for a happier result in this week’s bid to stand tall as a favorite.