Detroit (0-1) at Kansas City (0-1)
When: Saturday, August 17th 2024
Where: Arrowhead Stadium,
Kansas City, MO
Time: 4:00 ET | TV: NFLN
Opening Odds: Kansas City -3.5/36.5
Open an account at Bovada to receive a $750 Deposit Bonus! (US Customers Only)
The marquee matchup Saturday – if you can call a preseason game ‘marquee’ – is the Detroit Lions visiting the Kansas City Chiefs. If you recall, these teams opened the 2023 regular season in the annual Kickoff Game and very nearly met in the 2024 Super Bowl to end the season. Everyone found out immediately how good the Lions were going to be last season when they took out the defending Super Bowl champs 21-10. Detroit blew a 17-point third-quarter lead in the NFC Championship game in San Francisco and lost 34-31, leaving them one game shy of facing the Chiefs for the Lombardi Trophy.
Both teams dropped their opening preseason game last week and neither offense looked good. The Lions fell 14-3 at the lowly New York Giants, while the Chiefs mustered just one touchdown in a 26-13 loss at the Jacksonville Jaguars. Needless to say, neither team covered their respective point spreads. The Chiefs are 7-point favorites in this preseason tilt with a total pegged at 39. Game time is set for 4:00 ET and will be broadcast on NFL Network.
DETROIT LIONS
No starters played in Detroit’s Week 1 preseason game against the Giants last weekend. Quarterbacks Nate Sudfeld (8-for-15, 92 yards, INT) and Hendon Hooker (5-for-9, 36 yards) took all the snaps in the loss. It was Hooker’s first game action since tearing his ACL two years ago at the University of Tennessee when he was a 2022 Heisman Trophy contender. Both are battling to be Jared Goff’s backup this season. Detroit’s top two picks in the draft made their debuts: Terrion Arnold (first round) and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (second), who both started the game at cornerback. Campbell is 3-7 in the preseason as Lions coach.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Kansas City’s roster is loaded and set for the regular season, so no need for Andy Reid to be playing his stars until Week 1 of the regular season. Patrick Mahomes did play briefly in last week’s 26-13 loss to the Jaguars. Kansas City got a scare when projected starting receiver Marquise Brown dislocating his shoulder in the loss. He won’t return before Week 1 of the regular season at the earliest, but won’t need surgery. Second-round draft pick Kingsley Suamataia started at left tackle and played the entire first drive, which ended with the Chiefs kicking a field goal. Reid is 46-48 in his preseason career.
I know Detroit is banged up and Campbell doesn’t have a good preseason record, but seven points is a lot to lay in a preseason game. It will be the battle of the backups and I think Detroit can bounce back from last week’s crappy performance and keep this one close.
Week 2 Preseason Staff Selections
