49ers vs. Lions 2021 NFL Week 1 Odds, Preview and Pick

By Carlos Chacon • September 6, 2021

The San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions meet in the first week of the 2021 NFL regular season at Ford Field this weekend. After a horrendous season that saw the 49ers at the bottom of the NFC West, head coach Kyle Shanahan looks for redemption with the improvements made during the offseason.

Meanwhile, the Lions finished their 2020 run in a similar fashion after closing with a 5-11 record and last place in the NFC North. There’s plenty of work for Dan Campbell, but we expect major changes coming into play as they step inside the field this Sunday.

With the contest finalized and week 1 of the 2021 NFL season about to go underway, NitroBetting takes care of the betting aspect for you. For starters, we provide essential event info, team and player statistics, and the latest NFL betting odds. On top of that, we put together a list of crucial betting trends and expert betting predictions, both of which are geared to help you lock in on the best picks. Find all of that down below. Be sure to check out the latest 2021 NFL Season odds at out online Bitcoin sportsbook.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Detroit Lions Game Information

Just one week away ? pic.twitter.com/jVs8Kut6rk
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 5, 2021

When: Sunday, September 12, 2021, 1:00 PM ET
Where: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
TV: FOX
Radio: KGO 810-AM (49ers) / 97.1 FM WXYT. T. (Lions)
Live Stream:NFL Game Pass
NFL Odds: San Francisco 49ers (-7.5) / Detroit Lions (+7.5)

Why Bet on the San Francisco 49ers?

There’s much speculation as to the 49ers’ starting quarterback for the first week of the season, but we anticipate Jimmy Garoppolo holding on to the position over rookie Trey Lance. Following a relatively stable season, coach Kyle Shanahan might go for the safer choice while the first-year quarterback blends in gradually.

With that, there’s plenty of pressure on Garoppolo’s shoulders to deliver on the field and avoid giving up his position in favor of the rookie. How far will Garoppolo take the offense will be largely contingent on San Francisco’s offensive line. Alex Mack, formerly with the Atlanta Falcons, arrive in Santa Clara to help in that area. It’s also a big plus for the Niners that they still have ever-reliable tight end George Kittle.

Defensively, the 49ers allowed an average of 24.4 points per game last season, which could be greatly improved following the tweaks made within the unit. Although there’s plenty of room for improvement here, the team will heavily rely on its defense to get past the Lions this weekend.

Why Bet on the Detroit Lions?

Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions have a new starter this season in Jared Goff, who was traded for Matthew Stanford by the Los Angeles Rams. The 26-year-old begins his quest to help the Lions improve its average of just 23.6 points per game in 2020. In the offseason, Detroit also lost Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones. But in return, this opens up windows of opportunity for running back D’Andre Swift after an erratic rookie season.

With Adrian Peterson out of the lineup, Swift can work without the pressure of a challenger behind him. He can develop into a serious threat as a running back with a huge role even in passing plays.

Previewing the defense, it can be difficult to depend on this side of the ball. Their only chance at putting pressure on the 49ers is to capitalize on their error-prone offense, which ranked 30th in the league last season with a -0.7 turnover margin per game.

49ers vs. Lions Betting Trends

The 49ers are 2-3 in their last 5 away games.
The 49ers are 2-3 against the spread in their last 5 away games.
The totals have gone under in 3 of the 49ers’ last 5 away games.
The Lions are 1-4 in their last 5 home games.
The Lions are 3-2 against the spread in their last 5 home games.
The totals have gone over in 3 of the Lions’ last 5 home games.

49ers vs. Lions Expert Betting Predictions

The 49ers are the better team coming into the game and that should manifest despite the presence of a tough Detroit crowd in front of them. There’s more consistency found on San Francisco’s side. However, the Lions can pull off a stunner in Week 1. Goff might just be what the doctor ordered for the Lions’ offense. That’s not to mention that he’s pretty familiar with facing San Francisco, considering he’s played against them regularly back when he was still in the NFC West. At the end of the day, we anticipate an exciting match between the two.

Check out our latest sports betting guides for the 2021 NFL Regular Season. Stay tuned for more Football previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest Football betting odds at our online Bitcoin sportsbook.

*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.