Detroit, MI

What are Detroit Lions’ NFL playoffs odds? Latest playoff picture

Published

6 months ago

December 14, 2025

What are Detroit Lions’ NFL playoffs odds? Latest playoff picture

The Detroit Lions needed some help from an AFC rival to improve their playoff odds before their Week 15 matchup, but they didn’t get the outcome they desired.

The Lions (8-5, 3rd in NFC North) are facing off against the NFC’s top-seeded Los Angeles Rams (10-3, 1st in NFC West) on Sunday, Dec. 14, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. As the NFC’s No. 8 seed, the Lions entered the day with a 54% chance to make the playoffs per NFL Next Gen Stats, but those odds fell with the result in Chicago.

With the No. 7-seeded Chicago Bears hosting the 3-10 Cleveland Browns, Lions fans were hoping for a Browns upset to drop the Bears to 9-5 and allow the Lions to move into a playoff position with a win, since a 9-5 Lions team would own a tiebreaker over Chicago (thanks to their Week 2 victory). However, the Bears took care of business on a frigid day at Soldier Field, beating the Browns, 31-3, to improve to 10-4.

With the Bears beating the Browns, the Lions playoff odds have now lowered to 52% ahead of their game against the Rams (4:25 p.m., Fox). Here’s a look at what the rest of the NFC playoff picture looks like, including how a Lions win can help improve their position.

Lions playoff scenarios

Here’s the latest info on how the Lions can make it into the NFL playoffs, how they could miss out and what their playoff odds are.

What are Lions’ odds to make NFL playoffs?

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the Lions have a 52% chance of making the playoffs. If they beat the Rams, they will have a 73% chance to make the postseason, but those odds drop to 40% with a loss.

NFC playoff standings

Only the top seven teams make the playoffs in each conference. Here are the NFC standings entering the Lions Week 15 game against the Rams, with playoff odds from NFL Next Gen Stats:

Rams: 10-3, 97%
Packers: 9-3-1, 92%
Eagles: 9-5, 95%
Panthers: 7-6, 47%
Seahawks: 10-3, 97%
Bears, 10-4, 68%
49ers: 9-4, 93%
*Lions: 8-5, 52%
*Buccaneers: 7-7, 54%
*Cowboys: 6-6-1, 8%

*Currently out of the playoffs

How Lions can make NFL playoffs

The Lions still control their own playoff destiny despite currently being out of the playoff picture as the No. 8 seed. However, if the Lions lose any of their four remaining regular-season games, they will need additional outcomes to break their way in order to make it to the postseason.

If the Lions go 4-0 in their remaining regular-season games and finish 12-5, they will make the playoffs no matter the outcome of any other game (and have an outside shot of grabbing the No. 1 seed in the NFC).
If the Lions go 3-1 in their final four games and finish 11-6, they will still make the playoffs if the Bears go 1-2 in their final three games and one of those two losses is to Detroit. An 11-6 Lions team could also theoretically overtake the San Francisco 49ers for a wild-card spot, but that would require the 49ers to lose three of their last four games.
If the Lions go 2-2 in their final four games and finish 10-7, they will have a very difficult time of making the playoffs, especially if one of those losses is to Chicago. In that scenario, either the Rams or 49ers would need to lose all four of their remaining regular-season games for the Lions to make the playoffs.
If the Lions go 1-3 in their final four games and finish 9-8, they will have virtually no shot at making the playoffs unless that one win is against the Bears – and Detroit’s playoff odds would still be minute even with a win in Chicago.
The Lions will be eliminated from playoff contention if they go 0-4 in their final four games and finish 8-9 on the season.

Lions schedule: Next game, final stretch

Week 16, Sunday, Dec. 21: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 4:25 p.m., CBS.
Week 17, Thursday, Dec. 25: at Minnesota Vikings, 4:30 p.m., Netflix.
Week 18, Saturday/Sunday, Jan. 3-4: at Chicago Bears, TBD.

Bears schedule: Next game, final stretch

Week 16, Saturday, Dec. 20: vs Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET, Fox.
Week 17, Sunday, Dec. 28: at San Francisco 49ers, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC.
Week 18, Saturday/Sunday, Jan. 3-4: vs Detroit Lions, TBD.

When do NFL playoffs start?

The wild-card round is Jan. 10-12.

NFL playoffs schedule

Wild-card round: Jan. 10-12.
Divisional round: Jan. 17-18.
Conference championships: Jan. 25.
Super Bowl 60: Feb. 8.

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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.

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Detroit, MI

Tigers top Chicago White Sox 4-1; Detroit pitcher Troy Melton allows 1 hit in 6 innings

Published

8 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Press Room

Tigers top Chicago White Sox 4-1; Detroit pitcher Troy Melton allows 1 hit in 6 innings

June 20, 2026 / 4:22 PM EDT
/ AP

Troy Melton allowed one hit in six innings and the Detroit Tigers’ offense came alive late in a 4-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.

Dillon Dingler had two hits, including a home run, and drove in two runs as Detroit won its second straight game after losing four of five.

Melton (4-0) gave up a homer to Sam Antonacci on his second pitch of the game but allowed only four more baserunners — on three walks and a hit batter. He struck out five while allowing two or fewer runs for the fourth time in five starts this season.

Two Tigers relievers finished, with Kenley Jansen pitching the ninth for his ninth save.

Sean Newcomb started Chicago’s bullpen game with three perfect innings, but Tyler Davis walked the bases loaded with two out in the fourth. Joe Rock came out of the White Sox bullpen and struck out pinch-hitter Jahmai Jones to loud boos from the Comerica Park crowd.

With a runner on first and two out in the fifth, Kevin McGonigle got Detroit’s first hit of the game — the first hit for either team since Antonacci’s leadoff homer.

Dillon Dingler followed with an RBI single off Rock (0-1) to tie the game.

Detroit took the lead in the sixth when Spencer Torkelson doubled and scored on James Outman’s single. Jake Rogers made it 3-1 later in the inning with an RBI single.

Chicago didn’t get its second hit until Braden Montgomery doubled off Tyler Holton with one out in the seventh.

Dingler hit his 17th homer in the seventh, giving Detroit a 4-1 lead.

Up next

The teams finish the series Sunday in what was originally scheduled to be Justin Verlander’s first start as a Tigers player in Detroit since 2017. His hamstring strain means RHP Keider Montero (3-5, 3.67) will come back from the bullpen to face RHP Davis Martin (9-3, 3.31).

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Detroit, MI

Today in History: June 20, race-related rioting erupts in Detroit

Published

19 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Press Room

Today is Saturday, June 20, the 171st day of 2026. There are 194 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On June 20, 1943, race-related rioting erupted in Detroit; federal troops were sent in by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to quell the violence that resulted in more than 30 deaths.

Also on this date:

In 1782, the Continental Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States, featuring the emblem of the bald eagle.

In 1837, Queen Victoria acceded to the British throne following the death of her uncle, King William IV.

In 1893, a jury in New Bedford, Massachusetts, found Lizzie Borden not guilty of the ax murders of her father and stepmother.

In 1947, gangster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel was shot dead at the Beverly Hills, California, home of his girlfriend, Virginia Hill, likely at the order of mob associates.

In 1967, boxer Muhammad Ali was convicted in Houston of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted and was sentenced to five years in prison. (Ali’s conviction would ultimately be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court).

In 1972, three days after the arrest of the Watergate burglars, President Richard Nixon met at the White House with his chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman; the secretly made tape recording of this meeting ended up with a notorious 18 1/2-minute gap.

In 2002, in Atkins v. Virginia, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that executing people with intellectual disabilities qualified as cruel and unusual punishment and was therefore in violation of the Eighth Amendment.

In 2025, a powerful tornado tore across southeastern North Dakota with winds topping 200 mph (322 kph) and an EF5 category, the strongest classification for a tornado and the first of that strength confirmed on U.S. soil in a dozen years. The tornado killed three people and heavily damaged a regional airport.

Today’s Birthdays:

Filmmaker Stephen Frears is 85.
Singer Anne Murray is 81.
TV personality Bob Vila is 80.
Musician Lionel Richie is 77.
Actor John Goodman is 74.
Rock bassist Michael Anthony (Van Halen) is 72.
Rock bassist John Taylor (Duran Duran) is 66.
Actor Nicole Kidman is 59.
Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez is 58.
Actor Josh Lucas is 55.
Actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse is 37.
Actor Kayla Maisonet is 27.
Actor David Iacono is 24.

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Detroit, MI

Best barbershop in Metro Detroit: Finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best

Published

1 day ago

June 19, 2026

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Best barbershop in Metro Detroit: Finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best

Voting on finalists open from June 22 through July 20

What is the barbershop in Metro Detroit? We’ve got our finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best category for best barbershop.

Here are this year’s finalists:

Andino’s Barbershop in St. Clair Shores
Bennies Barbershop in Trenton
Chivalry Barber Co. in Royal Oak
The Garage Cuts and Coffee in Plymouth
Walter T’s Grooming Company in Waterford Township

We received more than 16,700 nominations across our 80 Vote 4 The Best categories this year. Each category was then narrowed down to five finalists.

Click here to view the full list of finalists.

Now that nominations are over, voting on finalists can begin. Voting is open from June 22 through July 20, and you can vote for each category once per day during that time.