© Junfu Han via Imagn Content Services, LLC
With the preseason over, it’s time to finally look to the regular season.
In Week 1, the 49ers will head to Detroit to face an, erm interesting Lions team coached by the espresso-pounding, kneecap-hungry Dan Campbell, with a first-round pick and starting right tackle in Penei Sewell who has struggled mightily in switching to right tackle. Their quarterback is Jared Goff.
As such, and perhaps after watching the 49ers rush 48 times for 242 yards and four touchdowns against the Las Vegas Raiders (albeit against the Raiders’ second-, third-, and fourth-string players), oddsmakers have given the 49ers the steepest point spread in Week 1 of any matchup.
According to oddsmaker William Hill, the 49ers are favored by an NFL-high 7.5 points over the Lions, which is especially significant in a Week 1 matchup when there’s not yet a huge amount of clarity on where each team stands.
The next-highest spread is the Rams’ 7-point spread against the Chicago Bears at home, followed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, favored by 6.5 points over the Dallas Cowboys at home.