Friday, October 30, 2026

Roaring to the Top: Lions Become Super Bowl Favorites for First Time

It’s yet another milestone for the 94-year-old franchise that has never reached the Super Bowl (but does have four pre-merger NFL championships).

The Detroit Free Press

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

For the first time in NFL history, the Lions are the betting favorites to win a Super Bowl.

Detroit (9–1) ascended to the top of sportsbooks’ odds lists after a 52–6 rout of the Jaguars (2–9) on Sunday, overtaking the Chiefs (9–1), who lost their first game of the season at the Bills (8–2). The Lions’ odds to win Super Bowl LIX range from +310 to +420 at major sportsbooks. Kansas City is still not far behind, with odds between +450 and +500.

It’s yet another milestone for the 94-year-old franchise that has never reached the Super Bowl (but does have four pre-merger NFL championships). Last season’s run to the NFC championship game invigorated not just Lions fans but also the entire city of Detroit—resulting in increased ticket prices, merchandise sales, and spending at bars and restaurants. 

Following that success, Detroit GM Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell received contract extensions through 2027. Season-ticket prices for 2024 also increased by an average of 30%.

Watch Party

After Week 11 of the 2024 regular season, the Lions have a one-game lead over the Vikings (8–2) in the NFC North and are in pole position to grab the No. 1 seed, which would mean at least one, and potentially two, more raucous playoff games at Ford Field in January.

With seven more games to play, the Lions will be in the national TV spotlight for more than half of their remaining schedule:

  • Nov. 28: An early Thanksgiving Day contest against the Bears (4–6) on CBS that could outdraw the reeling Cowboys (3–6), who host the Giants (2–8) later in the afternoon
  • Dec. 5: A Thursday Night Football matchup against the division rival Packers (7–3) on Amazon Prime Video
  • Dec. 15: A late-afternoon visit to Buffalo for a potential Super Bowl LIX preview that will be seen by a large portion of the country on CBS
  • Dec. 30: The final Monday Night Football game of the season against the defending NFC champion 49ers (5–5) on ESPN

Several Lions games have already drawn big TV audiences this season, including two of just over 24 million viewers each on Fox for matchups against Dallas and Green Bay. But Detroit is now set to get its most exposure of the season as the team is peaking on the field.

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NFL’s International Games Surge As Pregame Show Ratings Slip

NFL Network has one more Sunday morning game this season.
CEO of Kalshi Tarek Mansour speaks during the FIA Global Cleared Markets Conference Boca 2026, in Boca Raton, Florida, U.S., March 10, 2026.

Utah Escalates Kalshi Fight With Felony Charges

The prediction-market platform and its two cofounders were charged.

Multiple Sports Owners Were Major Backers of Elizabeth Holmes

Patriots owner Robert Kraft invested $1 million in the failed biotech startup.
Exclusive

Aaron Rodgers’s International Games Plan Has No NFL Support

Sources call the QB’s proposed international schedule a “nonsensical concept.”
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/30/26 – First WNBA Game 7, Utah Targets Kalshi Founders, Cowboys Cheerleaders Unionize

0:00

Featured Today

Football - NFL - Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - October 18, 2026 The necklace of a Jacksonville Jaguars fan outside the stadium before the match

Die-Hard Sports Fandom Has Reached the Afterlife

Will fans pay $6,000 to memorialize their team loyalty?
October 20, 2026

Why Europe Is Pumping Out NBA Superstars

The NBA and NCAA have an increasingly European flavor.
October 15, 2026

College Flag Football Is Outgrowing Its DIY Era

Women have been building the college game themselves at the club level.
Oct 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas arrives at the arena before the Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena
October 12, 2026

NHL’s New Wave of GMs Is Built Different

“I am in the prediction business,” Devils GM Sunny Mehta tells FOS.
Action Images/Peter Cziborra
October 9, 2026

Is Leicester City’s $264 Million Price Tag Too Rich for Hungry Investors?

After falling from grace, how much is a former top club worth?
Oct 28, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) celebrates with the MVP trophy after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in game five of the 2026 World Series at Tropicana Field.

Despite MLB Uncertainty, Most of Brewers Roster Will Remain Intact

Most of Milwaukee’s roster is in place for the 2027 season.
Oct 8, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders perform during the game between the Cowboys and the Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium
October 28, 2026

Why the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Are Unionizing

Will the cheer squad get what they want at the bargaining table?
Houston Comets
October 29, 2026

New Houston Comets Logos Revealed in Trademark Filings

The Comets are expected to officially announce their team logos Thursday.
Sponsored

How the New York Yankees Stay Game-Ready with Sage Intacct

See how Sage Intacct helps the Yankees streamline finances and plan for the future.
October 28, 2026

Chiefs Bring In Justin Tucker As Their $25.6M Kicker Struggles

The former All-Pro gives K.C. an alternative to struggling Harrison Butker.
October 27, 2026

Carlie Irsay-Gordon Reshaping Colts As Fire Sale Begins

The Colts traded Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner on Tuesday.
Jun 18, 2026; New York, NY, USA; CEO of MSG Network James Dolan smiles during the New York Knicks Championship Parade through the Canyon of Heroes.
October 27, 2026

James Dolan Gets $10M Bonus As Knicks-Rangers Spin-Off Closes

“It’s a healthy award,” an executive compensation expert tells FOS.
October 27, 2026

Panthers Laying Groundwork for On- and Off-Field Transformation

Carolina’s Bank of America Stadium will undergo a $1.3 billion renovation.