Detroit Lions have only a 25.9% chance of beating the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship.
The Detroit Lions concluded the 2023 season with a 12-5 record, similar to the San Francisco 49ers, but when they meet in the NFC Championship on Sunday, Jared Goff and his team will not be favourites to win. In truth, they are very far from it.
Despite the fact that the 49ers won the conference on tiebreakers, the Brock Purdy-led squad was widely regarded as the overwhelming favourite. According to the ESPN Matchup Predictor, the Lions have a 25.9 percent chance of winning to the Niners’ 74.1 percent.
True, that is rather demeaning to a club who has made history in the 2024 playoffs with their remarkable run to the NFC Championship. The Lions won their first division title in 30 years and ended their 32-year postseason drought with a Wild Card victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
Dan Campbell’s men then demonstrated to everyone that their victories were no fluke, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the divisional round to go to the conference final.
If anything, ESPN’s latest analysis should provide even more fuel for the Lions to pull off an upset.
Of course, the 49ers’ status as favourites has merit. This club has two MVP possibilities at its disposal, both of which are offensive players: quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Christian McCaffrey. If the passing game falters, the run game will compensate, and vice versa.
The Niners are also well-seasoned at this point, having won the conference championship in four of the previous five playoffs. While they have yet to win, they have a significant advantage over a team that was on a losing streak in the postseason only two weeks ago.
If there is one thing that makes the Lions dangerous, it is their equally lethal offence, which is led by Jared Goff. Under Goff’s leadership, Detroit concluded the 2023 season with the second-best passing offence, trailing only the Miami Dolphins.
The second-ranked Detroit Lions rushing defence has the potential to make a big difference. If they can slow down McCaffrey, they may have a chance to beat the San Francisco 49ers.
