The Detroit Lions finished the preseason with a record of 2-1 with wins over the New York Giants by a score of 21-16 and on the road against the Carolina Panthers by a score of 26-17 while losing at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars by a score of 7-25. The Lions finished last season with a record of 9-8 which was their first winning season since the 2017 NFL season, however, the Lions missed the playoffs for the 6^th consecutive year. 

This season, the Detroit Lions enter the year with an over/under win total of 9.5 wins and based on Vegas odds are projected to be the best team in the NFC North as the Lions are +140 to win the division which would be their first division championship since the 1993 NFL season in which they won the NFC Central.

Kansas City finished the preseason with a record of 2-1 with wins coming on the road against the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 38-10 and at home against the Cleveland Browns by a score of 33-32 while losing on the road against the New Orleans Saints by a score of 24-26. Kansas City finished last season with a record of 14-3 which led to their 7^th AFC West Division Championship in a row and a playoff spot in which the Chiefs defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars by a score of 27-20 in the Divisional Round, the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship by a score of 23-20 and the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 38-35 in the Super Bowl. 

This season, the Chiefs enter the year with an over/under win total of 11.5 wins and based on Vegas odds are projected to win the AFC West for the 8^th consecutive year as Kansas City is -171 to win the AFC West this season.

BookMaker has the Kansas City Chiefs listed as 6.5-point favorites at home against the Detroit Lions on Thursday night in week 1 of the NFL season. Kansas City has won five of the last seven games and two of the last three games in the series while going 5-2 ATS in the last seven games. Detroit finished last season with a record of 12-5 ATS overall, 5-3 ATS on the road, and 8-3 ATS as an underdog while Kansas City finished 8-11-1 ATS overall, 3-6-1 ATS at home, and 6-10-1 ATS as a favorite.

Kansas City is the more talented team entering the season and has been the better team in the series, winning five of the last seven and two of the last three games. However, the Lions are 2-1 ATS in the last three games in the series and were the better team at covering the spread last season going 12-5 while the Chiefs went 8-11-1 ATS overall. 

Kansas City will get the win in this matchup, however, I am buying the .5 point and taking the Detroit Lions +7 on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night in week 1 of the NFL season on BookMaker.