The Detroit Lions will host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday in a Week 1 NFL showdown on FOX.
The Lions enter 2026 coming off four consecutive winning seasons, tied for the second-longest streak in franchise history. Detroit is also tied with Buffalo and Philadelphia for the best record in the NFL over the past three seasons at 36-15.
However, the Lions took a step back last season.
After winning at least 12 games and the NFC North in both 2023 and 2024, going an NFL-best 27-7 over that span, Detroit finished 9-8 in 2025 and missed the playoffs.
The offense wasn’t the issue. Detroit averaged 28.3 points per game, fourth-most in the NFL, while ranking fifth in total offense (388.7 YPG) and third in passing. The defense was a different story, allowing 24.3 points per game (22nd) and 351.4 total yards per game (19th).
Meanwhile, the Saints have lost at least 10 games in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1996-99.
But New Orleans enters 2026 with some momentum after winning four of its final five games last season. Quarterback Tyler Shough emerged as a bright spot during that stretch, throwing for 1,316 yards, fifth-most in the NFL. He also ranked fourth in both explosive completions of 16-plus yards and completion percentage (69.9%).
The Saints retooled their offensive line this offseason and added Travis Etienne Jr. to lead the backfield. Etienne rushed for 1,107 yards last season, 11th-most in the NFL, while adding 36 catches for 292 yards and six receiving touchdowns, tied for second-most among running backs. He finished with 1,399 scrimmage yards and 13 total touchdowns.
These teams last met in 2023, when the Lions went on the road and defeated the Saints 33-28.
With that, let’s take a look at the odds for Lions vs. Saints at FanDuel Sportsbook as of Sept. 13.
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Moneyline
- Lions: -335 (bet $10 to win $12.99 total)
- Saints: +270 (bet $10 to win $37 total)
Spread
- Lions -6.5: -120 (bet $10 to win $18.33 total)
- Saints +6.5: +100 (bet $10 to win $20 total)
Over/Under
- Over 49.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)
- Under 49.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)
From FOX Sports Research:
There are plenty of reasons to expect points in this matchup.
Detroit hired Drew Petzing as its third offensive coordinator in three seasons after he spent the past three years running Arizona’s offense. The Cardinals averaged 4.9 yards per carry under Petzing, the second-best mark in the NFL over that span, which should pair well with an already explosive Lions offense.
Jared Goff has now thrown for at least 4,500 yards in three consecutive seasons, and he was especially effective against single-high safety looks in 2025, throwing an NFL-high 20 touchdowns. That’s significant against a New Orleans defense that utilized single-high safety on 62.9% of its snaps last season, the second-highest rate in the league.
New Orleans should be able to contribute to the scoring as well. Tyler Shough finished the 2025 season strong, ranking inside the top 10 in completion percentage (69.2%), yards per attempt (7.6) and passer rating (95.8) from Weeks 9-18. Shough also draws a favorable matchup against a Detroit defense that played man coverage at the second-highest rate in the NFL last season (39.7%) and allowed 58 completions of 20+ yards, tied for fourth-most. Shough posted a 102.6 passer rating with three touchdowns and no interceptions against man coverage last season, and with the Lions already dealing with injuries in their secondary, New Orleans should have opportunities to create explosive plays.
Expect Detroit to be involved in plenty of high-scoring games early in the season, starting Sunday.
How to Watch Lions vs. Saints
- Date: Sunday, Sept. 13. 2026
- Time: 1 p.m. ET
- TV: FOX
- Stream: Watch 3 days free on FOX One, FOXSports.com, FOX Sports App
- Location: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
