Larry Hartstein has revealed his 2025 NFL Divisional Round best bets and NFL picks against the spread for Washington vs. Detroit on Saturday
A pair of NFC heavyweights will clash when the Washington Commanders battle the Detroit Lions in an NFL Divisional Round matchup on Saturday. Washington is coming off a 23-20, last-second win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round, while Detroit is coming off a bye after dismantling the Minnesota Vikings, 31-9, in Week 18. The Commanders (12-5), who earned the sixth seed in the 2025 NFL playoff bracket by placing second in the NFC East, are 6-3 on the road, including the postseason. The Lions (15-2), the top seed in the NFC after winning the North Division, are 7-2 on their home field. The public is equally split between the over and under, while over two-thirds of the money is on the under.
Kickoff from Ford Field in Detroit is set for 8 p.m. ET. Detroit is a 9.5-point favorite in the latest Commanders vs. Lions odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 55.5. Detroit is a -498 money-line favorite (risk $498 to win $100), while Washington is a +376 underdog. Before you make any Commanders vs. Lions picks, make sure to check out the NFL predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine expert Larry Hartstein, considering his mastery of picks involving Washington.
A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed working for Pro Football Focus. He tied for 52nd place (out of 1,598 entries) in the 2022 Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest, going 53-34-3 ATS. Hartstein’s weekly Vegas contest selections form the basis of his NFL best bets column, which is 79-48-2 (62.2%, +25.95 units) since its inception in 2022. He’s also an amazing 19-5 (+1312) on his last 24 NFL picks on the Commanders. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
Now, Hartstein has locked in on Commanders vs. Lions and just revealed his coveted NFL picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and NFL betting lines for Commanders vs. Lions:
- Commanders vs. Lions spread: Detroit -9.5
- Commanders vs. Lions over/under: 55.5 points
- Commanders vs. Lions money line: Washington +376, Detroit -498
- WAS: Commanders have hit the money line in 14 of their last 19 games (+9.20 units)
- DET: Lions have covered the spread in 16 of their last 21 games (+11.60 units)
- Commanders vs. Lions picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Commanders vs. Lions streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Lions can cover
Veteran quarterback Jared Goff powers the Detroit offense. In 17 starts, he has completed 390 of 539 passes (72.4%) for 4,629 yards and 37 touchdowns with 12 interceptions and a 111.8 rating. In the regular-season finale against Minnesota, he was efficient, completing 27 of 33 passes (81.8%) for 231 yards and one touchdown and two interceptions.
His top target is veteran wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. In 17 games, St. Brown caught 115 passes for 1,263 yards (11.0 average) and 12 touchdowns. He had 14 explosive plays of 20 yards or more, including a long of 66, with 412 yards after the catch and 72 first-down conversions. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why the Commanders can cover
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels guided Washington to its first playoff win since 2005 with a win over Tampa Bay in the Wild Card Round. In that game, Daniels completed 24 of 35 passes (68.6%) for 268 yards and two touchdowns with a 110.2 rating. He also rushed 13 times for 36 yards. In 17 regular-season games, Daniels led the Commanders in both rushing and passing. He completed 69% of his passes for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns with nine interceptions and a 100.1 rating. He also carried 148 times for a team-high 891 yards (6.0 average) and six touchdowns.
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin is his top target. In the win over the Buccaneers, he caught seven passes for 89 yards and one touchdown. In 17 regular-season games, McLaurin caught 82 passes for 1,096 yards (13.4 average) and 13 touchdowns. He had 12 explosive plays of 20 yards or more, including a long of 86, with 56 first-down conversions. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Commanders vs. Lions picks
Hartstein has analyzed Lions vs. Commanders from every possible angle, and while we can tell you he’s leaning Over the total, he has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. Find out what it is, and which team to back, at SportsLine.
So who wins Lions vs. Commanders on Saturday during 2025 NFL Wild Card Weekend, and what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Lions vs. Commanders spread to back, all from the expert who is an amazing 19-5 on picks involving Washington, and find out.
