3 Reasons the Lions Will Upset the Eagles in Week 1

Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season is just over 24 hours away from beginning. As usual, most of the action takes place on Sunday, including a clash between the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles. FanDuel Sportsbook currently lists the Eagles as 3.5-point road favorites in the matchup.

Even if the odds point to the Lions as underdogs, an upset isn't impossible for Dan Campbel's squad. The Lions appear to be much better than last year and if the offseason improvements can pay off, a gritty home win is within the realm of possibility.

Here are three reasons why the Lions will upset the Eagles in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season.

Lions vs Eagles Week 1

1. Lions' Improved WR Room

A relatively weak wide receiver room played a role in Detroit's 2021 shortcomings. That shouldn't be the case anymore. Amon-Ra St. Brown is poised for a breakout season after topping 900 yards as a rookie. Veteran WR DJ Chark is now in the fold, which gives Jared Goff a proven commodity that he can trust. Josh Reynolds, Quintez Cephus and Kalif Raymond are all solid as well and should provide decent support. While the Eagles' secondary is promising, the Lions did average 258.3 passing yards over their final three games last year — the NFL's seventh-best clip over that span. If Detroit can continue that level of success with its improved room, upsetting Philadelphia is a possibility.

2. Lions CBs vs. DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown

A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are both incredibly talented WRs, however, the Eagles don't have any intimidating options behind them. If the Lions want to pull off an upset, they need cornerbacks Amani Oruwariye and Jeff Okudah to shut the Eagles' duo down. Fortunately, both CBs are talented enough to do so. Oruwariye looked great in Year 3, tallying 11 broken-up passes and six interceptions while only allowing a 74.1 passer rating when targeted. Even though Okudah only played one game in 2021 due to an Achilles injury, the former No. 3 pick impressed enough in the preseason to earn a starting CB job. Both Lions defenders must live up to their hype to give Detroit a real chance of winning.

3. Dan Campbell's Presence

You don't have to be a Lions fan to recognize the positive impact that Campbell has had on the locker room. The players constantly rave about him in their interviews, making it clear that they'd run through a wall for their head coach. That kind of bond between a coach and his players can be a difference-maker, especially when most people are siding with the favored Eagles. If the Lions are ever down on the scoreboard, Campbell has the charism to rally the troops and get them to fight back. With another year of that bond being solidified, Campbell's coaching philosophy and style could be enough to inspire the Lions to grab the improbable victory.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.