Skip to content
GO TO bet365 Sports
NFL
  1. US Sports
  2. NFL

Detroit Lions v Washington Commanders: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Eight teams remain in the race to win the NFL Championship and Saturday night's NFC playoff showdown between the Detroit Lions and the Washington Commanders is a must-watch fixture.

The Lions are favourites to win the title for the first time in their history and the NFC No.1 seeds begin their playoff campaign against the sixth-seeded Commanders, who were the only road team to win on Wild Card weekend.

The Commanders took down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 in what most fans will consider was the best game of the first round of the playoffs, but they are heavy underdogs as they head to Ford Field.

The 15-2 Lions crushed the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 in the Motor City in Week 18 to clinch the NFC North title and they have benefited from the week off that success earned.

Running back David Montgomery missed the last three games of the season and, while his backfield partner Jahmyr Gibbs carried the load extremely well on his own, the news that Montgomery is set to return this week will be a huge boost for head coach Dan Campbell.

The Commanders have made rapid progress in their first season under Dan Quinn after winning only four games in the 2023 season, going 12-5 in the NFC East before their impressive playoff success on the road at Tampa Bay.

The Lions have won six of the teams' last seven meetings and are hot favourites to march on to the NFC Championship game, but the Commanders aren't likely to go down without a fight under sensational rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

WAS Commanders @ DET Lions

Detroit Lions v Washington Commanders prop bets - tips and predictions

Jayden Daniels over 54.5 rushing yards @ 10/11

Jayden Daniels has turned around the direction of the Commanders franchise after being selected with the second pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and, whatever happens on Saturday night, the team look to have a bright future while he stays healthy.

He passed for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns in the regular season with only nine interceptions, and added 891 yards with his legs at an average of 52.4 yards per game. 

That made him the team's leading rusher in the regular season and he has topped their rushing yards list in each of their last five games.

That was achieved with rushing totals of 74, 66, 81, 127 and 36 yards and, while his effort against the Buccaneers fell short of his rushing yards line for this game, the others went comfortably over and there's reason to believe that the Lions pass-rush could force him to flee the pocket and scramble regularly.

The Lions could be vulnerable to an elite running QB such as Daniels, with Buffalo's Josh Allen racking up 68 rushing yards and two touchdowns against them in Week 15.

Jahmyr Gibbs over 25.5 receiving yards @ 10/11

Jahmyr Gibbs has done a fantastic job of carrying the load for the Lions in the absence of Montgomery, but the older running back's return should not prevent him from playing a starring role for his team again.

His rushing yards line for the game is understandably high after he clocked up 109, 117 and 139 yards in his last three games.

He could lose some of the early-down work now Montgomery is back, but he should still see plenty of volume overall and third-down snaps in particular. 

That makes his receiving yards over an attractive option at just 25.5. He has gone over that figure in five successive games with at least four receptions in each of those appearances. 

Gibbs has the ability to turn any pass into a long gain with at least one reception of 14 yards or more in his last four games, while against the Jaguars in Week 11 he caught just one pass in the game but converted that into a 54-yard touchdown.

Read more US sports betting tips and predictions on site

Detroit Lions v Washington Commanders money line, spread, over/under

Money Line

Spread

Over/Under

Lions

2/11

-9.5 - 10/11

Over 55.5 - 10/11

Commanders

4/1

+9.5 - 10/11

Under 55.5 - 10/11

Commanders +9.5 @ 10/11

The Lions are hot favourites for this clash and should prevail in what is likely to be a cauldron of noise at Ford Field.

Even so, the Commanders have shown plenty of fight this season and, with characters such as linebacker Bobby Wagner and Marshon Lattimore in their defence, they are not likely to lie down if the Lions get on top.

The only time Washington lost by a double-figure margin this season was against the Buccaneers way back in Week 1, in Daniels' first NFL game. 

Even when they have lost to some good teams since then, they went down by seven points away to the Ravens and eight in Philadelphia (having led going into the fourth quarter), so the underdogs should put up a good fight on the handicap.

View the full market and more odds for Detroit Lions v Washington Commanders on site

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.

Related Articles

bet365 uses cookies

We use cookies to deliver a better and more personalised service. For more information, see our Cookie Policy

New to bet365? Bet £10 & Get £50 in Free Bets Join Now

Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.