Detroit Lions have 4th-best odds to win NFC in 2023

For the most part, the NFC disappointed in 2022. At the bottom of the conference, the Bears, Cardinals, and Rams all finished as bottom-six teams in the league. At the top of the conference, there appeared to be a lot of pretenders. The Vikings and Cowboys turned out to be worse than their record suggested, and the 49ers’ horrible quarterback luck finally caught up with them.

The quarterbacks that once dominated the NFC—Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers... Matthew Stafford and Kyler Murray to lesser degrees—fizzled out in 2022.

The Detroit Lions were one of a few teams who improved in the conference and could see their arrow trending upwards heading into 2023. The Giants, Seahawks, and Commanders also likely fit into that category.

But according to the latest Vegas odds for 2023 NFC Championship, the Lions are right there in the conversation with the conference’s top teams. Per DraftKings Sportsbook, the Lions have the fourth-best odds to walk away with their first conference championship since the 1950s.

Here’s a look at the latest odds as of Wednesday morning:

Note: The numbers represents the net win on a bet of $100. So if you bet $100 on the Lions winning the NFC at +1100, your bet nets you a $1,100 profit—or a total payout of $1,200.

49ers: +350
Eagles: +400
Cowboys: +600
Lions: +1100
Packers: +1100
Giants: +1300
Vikings: +1400
Rams: +2000
Panthers: +2200
Saints: +2200

The only teams in front of the Lions are the 14-3 Eagles, 13-4 49ers, and the 12-5 Cowboys. Detroit has the best odds of any other team in the NFC North, sharing that title with the Packers. Of course, those odds are likely to change drastically if a certain someone emerges from a darkness retreat and sees his shadow—though it’s rather unclear if that means six more seasons in Green Bay or if he’s on his way to Las Vegas.

Either way, it’s just another sign that Lions fans are going to have to deal with increased expectations for the 2023 season, and that can be both thrilling and terrifying.