NFL 2023 season opener picks and live discussion: Lions at Chiefs

Yes! It is time for real, actual NFL football with Sunday Night Football on Thursday night. The 2023 season begins now with the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Detroit Lions. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Chiefs are 4.5 point favorites. The Lions are a chic pick for Super Bowl contenders from the NFC as they have been revived under Dan Campbell. But the Andy Reid/Patrick Mahomes Chiefs are the gold standard.

This is an open thread for game chat.

Let’s see how the BTB staff picked the game.

Here are their thoughts on why they made their pick.

Brian Martin: The defending Super Bowl champions against an underrated, up-and-coming Detroit Lions team is a great way to kick off the 2023 season on Thursday Night Football. While the Lions are definitely talented enough to pull off the upset, it’s hard to bet against a Kansas City Chiefs team that features the best QB in the league Patrick Mahomes. Because of that, I’ll take the Chiefs in this matchup.

Matt Holleran: The Lions are getting plenty of hype entering this Thursday Night Football matchup against the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. Detroit exceeded expectations last year, and many believe they have a very good shot at the playoffs this season. While I do see the Lions having a good regular season, there’s no way I’m picking them to upset the Chiefs. You don’t get rich betting against Patrick Mahomes in primetime, and I’m not about to start. Give me the Chiefs 26-20.

Dave Halprin: The Lions are a feel good story, but it’s too early to give them that much credit. Even with the Chiefs dealing with injuries and holdouts, they will still be too much at home for the Lions. Take the Chiefs to cover.

OCC: Bet against Mahomes at your own risk.

Tom Ryle: I know Travis Kelce is possibly out. I am well aware that the Lions are one of this year’s darlings, and I’m pulling for them to at least make the playoffs. But Patrick Mahomes is still playing with a largely intact roster from last year, and that is pretty much all you need to know. I also think the hype about Detroit is a bit too much. They are on their way up, but not there yet. This may be an entertaining game, but I still see KC winning by ten or more points.