Detroit Lions open as favorites vs. LA Rams in 2024 ‘SNF’ opener

After a terrific 2023 season that saw the Detroit Lions win 12 games, take control of the NFC North title, and vanquish the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL Playoffs, Detroit is being rewarded handsomely with nine nationally televised games—including five in primetime.

The 2024 schedule was released on Wednesday night and the Lions will kick things off with a bang on “Sunday Night Football.” In a rematch of last year's NFC Wildcard Playoff game, the Lions will host the Rams in primetime of Week 1, and the folks over at DraftKings Sportsbook have set the opening betting line at Detroit -3 points.

Another interesting note is that DraftKings has set the over/under for this game at 50.5 points, the highest point total of all the games on the Week 1 schedule.

While the core of the Lions roster remains intact, they have made some significant changes on the defensive side of the ball, most notably signing defensive tackle DJ Reader, edge rusher Marcus Davenport, and corner Amik Robertson in free agency, trading for corner Carlton Davis, and drafting corners Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw in the first two rounds of the NFL draft. On offense, they added guard Kevin Zeitler and drafted running back Sione Vaki, but did lose wide receiver Josh Reynolds and guard Jonah Jackson in free agency.

Jackson headlined the Rams’ free agency class, joining fellow free agency guard Kevin Dotson to help remake their interior offensive line. On defense, All-World defensive tackle Aaron Donald retired, and the Rams used a “replace-by-committee” approach, drafting defensive end Jared Verse and defensive tackle Braden Fiske in the first two rounds of the NFL draft. The Rams did a nice job of adding youth to their roster with the rest of the draft picks, a group that is headlined by Michigan running back Blake Corum.

While it will be tough for the Ford Field crowd to match the intensity they generated for the Wildcard Playoff game, welcoming the Rams back to town in Week 1 on “Sunday Night Football” is a perfect combination to get Lions fans amped up. September 8 can’t come soon enough.