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          Detroit Lions, underdogs in 24 straight games, favored to win vs. Washington Commanders

          • Eric Woodyard, ESPNSep 13, 2022, 10:21 PM
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              Eric Woodyard covers the Detroit Lions for ESPN. He joined ESPN in September 2019 as an NBA reporter dedicated to the Midwest region before switching to his current role in April 2021. The Flint, Mich. native is a graduate of Western Michigan University and has authored/co-authored three books: "Wasted, Ethan's Talent Search" and "All In: The Kelvin Torbert Story". He is a proud parent of one son, Ethan. You can follow him on Twitter: @E_Woodyard

          DETROIT -- If the betting odds hold, the Detroit Lions will be in unfamiliar territory Sunday at home against the Washington Commanders.

          After playing in 24 consecutive games as an underdog, the longest active streak in the NFL, the Lions are currently 2 1/2-point favorites against the Commanders, according to Caesars Sportsbook.

          The Lions' streak is the team's longest in the Super Bowl era.

          "I don't think it really affects anything," Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown told ESPN on Wednesday. "A lot of us, at least for me, I didn't even know we were the favorites. But I think for us, we don't care what the spread is. We feel like we're the underdog in every game just because of the history of this program, so we know what teams are going to think about us. Yeah, they're gonna play hard, but are they gonna be on the details? Are they gonna do this right?

          "So, we want to go out there and win. We don't care how it comes. We want to go out there. We want to execute, do the little things right, keep it a clean game, no turnovers. Little things like that. And obviously we want to win. That's the biggest thing."

          Offensive tackle Penei Sewell echoed St. Brown's sentiments.

          "It doesn't really change much at all, to be honest," he told ESPN. "We're coming in every game with nameless opponents. I know they're Washington Football Team, but at the end of the day, it's us against us. If we don't get our s--- right, it's just downhill from there. We've just got to get under control, what we can control and go from there."

          The last time Detroit was favored was Nov. 22, 2020, when it was a 1-point favorite on the road against quarterback PJ Walker and the Carolina Panthers. The Lions went on to lose 20-0.

          The New York Giants hold the second-longest active streak as an underdog at 15 straight games. They are currently 2 1/2-point favorites for Sunday's game against the Panthers, according to Caesars Sportsbook.

          Detroit (0-1) is looking to redeem itself after a 38-35 loss to Philadelphia in the season opener. The Lions have won five of their past six games against Washington.