Our Saints vs Lions prediction backs Detroit comfortably. New Orleans visit Ford Field on Sunday, September 13, and both sides open the 2026 NFL season here. Ultimately the Signal block below carries the live read, including where the value sits. Signal rates every Week 1 game the same way.
The gap here is about finishing rather than moving the ball. Detroit scored 481 points in 2025; New Orleans managed 306.
The red zone is where it separates. Detroit converted 62.5% of trips inside the twenty, meanwhile, against the Saints’ 44.4%, the weakest rate of any team playing this round.
New Orleans Saints @ Detroit Lions
New Orleans SaintsWin prob27%
Detroit LionsWin prob73%Squawka Signal is our model’s read, updated after every result — not betting advice. How the NFL Signal works. 19+ (18+ in AB/MB/QC). Please play responsibly. ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 (ON). Full T&Cs & geo-restrictions apply: bet365.
Saints vs Lions: our editor’s prop
One editorial call to sit alongside the live Signal numbers above.
AT 
Our prop
An editorial call, not a Signal model output. 19+ (18+ in AB, MB and QC). Please play responsibly.
Saints vs Lions: 2025 season form
Detroit finished 9-8 at plus 68 and New Orleans 6-11 at minus 77. The points columns separate them more than the records do.
| 2025 regular season | Saints | Lions |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 6-11 | 9-8 |
| Points for | 306 | 481 |
| Points against | 383 | 413 |
| Point differential | -77 | +68 |
| Sacks recorded | 45 | 49 |
| Sacks allowed | 49 | 39 |
| Interceptions made | 10 | 13 |
| Third-down offence | 39.5% | 38.8% |
| Red-zone offence | 44.4% | 62.5% |
| Red zone allowed | 53.2% | 59.6% |
| Opponent passer rating | 91.8 | 92.5 |
The red-zone rows carry it. Detroit converted 62.5% and New Orleans 44.4%, and the Saints also conceded 49 sacks. Their defence was not the problem, however: 45 sacks and a 91.8 opponent passer rating is respectable.
Saints vs Lions injury report and team news
This section updates as soon as the Out, Doubtful and Questionable tags appear. For now, both sides expect their first-choice quarterbacks.
Tyler Shough is expected to start for New Orleans, though the Saints had not confirmed it at the time of writing. Chris Olave leads the receivers, moreover, after 1,163 yards.
Jared Goff starts for Detroit. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams both cleared 1,100 receiving yards last season, meanwhile, with Jahmyr Gibbs carrying the run game.
New Orleans SaintsDetroit LionsThe matchup that settles it: Detroit’s red zone against an offence that stalls
Detroit converted 62.5% of red-zone trips in 2025 and posted a 105.5 passer rating, the highest of any team playing this week. Goff threw 35 touchdowns against eight interceptions.
The Saints are the mirror image. Their 44.4% conversion was the weakest on the slate, and 3.69 yards a carry gave them no short-yardage answer. Therefore drives that reach the twenty tend to end in field goals.
Players to watch
- Jared Goff (DET, QB): 4,303 yards and 35 touchdowns at a 105.5 rating, indeed the best mark here.
- Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET, WR): 1,401 receiving yards, notably fifth in the league.
- Aidan Hutchinson (DET, DE): 14 sacks against a line that conceded 49.
- Chris Olave (NO, WR): 1,163 receiving yards, moreover, the Saints’ clearest route to points.
How to watch Saints vs Lions
The game kicks off at 1:00 PM ET on Sunday, September 13 at Ford Field in Detroit, MI. CTV shows a Sunday afternoon game in each region, meanwhile, and RDS carries the French-language coverage. Because the CTV pick is regional, DAZN is the reliable route to this particular game through NFL Game Pass. Our full guide to watching the NFL in Canada sets out every window. Squawka may earn a commission if you subscribe through that link.
| Detail | Saints vs Lions |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, September 13, 2026 |
| Kickoff | 1:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM CT / 10:00 AM PT |
| Venue | Ford Field, Detroit, MI |
| TV | CTV (regional) / RDS (French) |
| Live stream | DAZN (NFL Game Pass) / CTV.ca |
| Week | Week 1, 2026 NFL season |
Saints vs Lions prediction and score projection
Our Saints vs Lions prediction is a comfortable Detroit win. A 481-point offence against the weakest red-zone attack on the slate is about as clean a mismatch as Week 1 offers.
Notably, Signal currently puts New Orleans at 27% and Detroit at 73%, with a projected line of Detroit Lions -7.
The Saints are not without resistance. Their 45 sacks and 53.2% red-zone defence are both better than Detroit’s equivalents, so this need not become a rout.
So we will take the Lions, 28-22. Which side carries the value, though, is a separate question from who wins, and the live read on that sits in the Signal block.
Signal rates every game on our NFL picks page. Meanwhile the title race is priced through Super Bowl LXI odds, with both conferences on the NFC and AFC Championship pages. Finally, player markets sit with our NFL player props coverage, and kickoff is confirmed on NFL.com.
Saints vs Lions FAQ
Detroit, comfortably. The Lions scored 481 points in 2025 to New Orleans’s 306 and converted 62.5% of red-zone trips against the Saints’ 44.4%. Ultimately the live win probability and the current market price both sit in the Signal block on this page.
Spreads move all week; therefore both the live line and our model’s projected line sit in the Signal block rather than in this answer. As a guide: Detroit finished 9-8 at plus 68, New Orleans 6-11 at minus 77.
CTV shows a Sunday afternoon game in each region and RDS carries the French-language coverage, while DAZN has every game through NFL Game Pass. Kickoff is 1:00 PM ET on Sunday, September 13. Notably the CTV pick is regional.
Tyler Shough is expected to start, although the Saints had not confirmed it at the time of writing. Spencer Rattler is the alternative on the roster.
Lions 28-22. Detroit’s 62.5% red-zone conversion against New Orleans’s 44.4% is the clearest edge, though the Saints’ 45 sacks should keep it from becoming a rout.
19+ (18+ in AB, MB and QC) | Please play responsibly | ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 (ON) | Signal probabilities and odds approximate at time of writing and subject to change