NFL Tips: Lions test Chiefs with bet builder special

Today is the day, NFL football is back!

In the opening game of the 2023 season, the Detroit Lions travel to Kansas City to take on the defending Super Bowl champions, the Chiefs, in a cracking Thursday night fixture.

The Chiefs will be looking to defend their crown and get off to a good start against Detroit. Of course, their leader is the reigning MVP, Patrick Mahomes, already one of the greatest players the game has ever seen, who threw for over 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns last year. He will look for another dominant season which could see him become a three-time champion.

At the beginning of the week, Kansas City would have been a massive favourite. However, they have had injuries to key players, including star tight end Travis Kelce who is questionable due to a knee injury, which could damage their chances of getting the victory. Defensive tackle Chris Jones is also out of the game given his holdout. But their quarterback is still Mahomes, which means it’ll take someone very brave to bet against him.

Detroit had an auspicious year last season, narrowly missed out on the play-offs. The Lions are a team bodies spirit of the city as they are tough and have a lot of resilience. Their quarterback, Jared Goff, stepped up in a big way for them last season, throwing for over 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns. He will play a big part if the Lions are going to come away with anything from this game.

In terms of playmakers, the Lions have Amon-Ra St Brown, who showed last season that he can be a true number one receiver. And on the defensive side of the ball, their top player is Aidan Hutchinson, who had a great rookie season last year. He and the whole team will look to build on the momentum they had last season, and a win over the Chiefs could be the perfect way to do it.

Bet Builder- 6.77/1 – (from Paddy Power)

Total points over 52.5 – Two electric offenses and two defenses who can leak points. This could be a proper shoutout, so it’s a banker to take the over.

Marvin Jones Jr over 2.5 receptions – The veteran receiver is back in Detroit, having played a bit-role for the Jaguars over the last coupe of years. He’s a player who likes to get involved, and as WR2, he should get plenty of targets.

Amon-Ra St. Brown over 6.5 receptions – Now one of the best receivers in the NFL, Amon-Ra St. Brown has developed a stellar relationship with passer Jared Goff. He had 106 receptions in 2022, at over 6.6 average per game, so this feels a good bet.