New Orleans Saints vs. Detroit Lions: Experts release early Week 1 preview [2026]

The New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions will meet in Week 1 of the NFL season at Ford Field on Sunday, September 13, 2026, starting at 1:00 PM ET.

Early simulations from Dimers' trusted NFL model favor the Lions as the most likely winner of this NFC matchup.

For updates all week long, including best bets, player prop projections and touchdown probabilities, check out our interactive Saints vs. Lions predictions page.

New Orleans vs. Detroit early predictions

Leveraging trusted machine learning and analysis, we have simulated the Saints vs. Lions game 10,000 times as part of our NFL predictions coverage. Here are the latest insights:

• Straight up win probabilities: Saints 27.7%, Lions 72.3%
• Predicted final score: Saints 21-28 Lions
• Spread: Saints (+6.5) 46.8%, Lions (-6.5) 53.2%
• Total points (50.5): Over 50.0%, Under 50.0%

As of September 7, 2026, these Saints-Lions figures and predictions reflect the latest data and insights available.

Saints vs. Lions Week 1 details

Sunday's action between the Lions and Saints at Ford Field is scheduled for September 13, 2026.

• Who: New Orleans Saints vs. Detroit Lions
• Date: Sunday, September 13, 2026
• Time: 1:00 PM ET/10:00AM PT
• Venue: Ford Field

Saints vs. Lions opening odds

We've researched the best betting odds across America for this Week 1 game, which are listed here:

• Spread: Saints +6.5 (+111), Lions -6.5 (-120)
• Moneyline: Saints +285, Lions -290
• Total: Over/Under 50.5 (+100/-108)

Odds may continue to move—track live changes via our NFL odds page.

Anytime touchdown scorer predictions

Early NFL player projections for Week 1 highlight the top candidates to score a TD in Saints-Lions in Week 1:

New Orleans Saints

• Travis Etienne: 44.7% probability
• Chris Olave: 35.5% probability
• Juwan Johnson: 23.6% probability

Detroit Lions

• Jahmyr Gibbs: 69.0% probability
• Amon-Ra St. Brown: 45.9% probability
• Jameson Williams: 34.2% probability

Saints vs Lions player props

Travis Etienne is projected to lead rushing for the Saints, while Jahmyr Gibbs is expected to pace the Lions on the ground.

In the receiving game, our projections favor New Orleans' Chris Olave and Detroit's Amon-Ra St. Brown as the likely leaders for each team.

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Conclusion

We predict the Lions, with a 72.3% win probability, will likely beat the Saints in Week 1 of the NFL season. Dimers.com will provide full game coverage closer to kickoff, so stay tuned for updates.

Enhanced by AI and automation, this article delivers quick, accurate insights on the Saints vs. Lions matchup, with human oversight maintaining high editorial quality. Our predictions are based on up-to-date data to help you make informed decisions. For additional resources and advice on responsible gambling, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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