NFL Week 15 odds: Detroit Lions are biggest underdogs of the week

Hopefully after the Detroit Lions’ travelling crew all tested negative for COVID-19 on Sunday, their battles with the virus and the flu are over. Because if Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos is any indication, this team cannot deal with any extra adversity than they already have.

That is especially true next week, when the Detroit Lions will host the current one-seed in the NFC, the Arizona Cardinals. According to Draftkings Sportsbook, the Cardinals will be coming to Detroit as 14-point favorites, which is currently the highest point spread of all Week 15 games.

The spread isn’t all that surprising with a 1-11-1 Lions team facing a 10-2 Cardinals team, especially when the Lions are coming off a 28-point loss. However, it is worth noting that the Lions will have one distinct advantage this week: Arizona will be coming off of a short week. The Cardinals are in action on Monday night with a huge divisional matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Win and they clinch a playoff spot and also nearly guarantee winning the NFC West.

But even if they clinch all of that, the Cardinals will still be motivated to win, seeing as they’re jockeying with the 10-3 Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the conference’s only first-round bye granted to the one-seed.

The Lions, meanwhile, are simply playing spoiler after officially being eliminated from the playoff picture on Sunday. And with a roster that will still likely be impacted by injuries and COVID, they’ve got quite the uphill battle this week.