It may be the offseason for the Detroit Lions, but the guys are back at work and gearing up for the 2025 season, since September will be here before we know it. Of course, the team just wrapped up their 2025 NFL draft selections, and now, they’re crafting their 53-man roster in hopes they have the talent to help them go all the way.

Of course, part of the success of a team has to do with that team’s opponents. The tougher the schedule, the harder it is to pull off wins. In that spirit, the Lions have some bad news going into 2025, but hopefully it’s nothing they can’t overcome.

Detroit Lions’ Upcoming Schedule is Extra Tough

Warren Sharp over at Sharp Football Analysis has put together a study regarding the toughest NFL schedules for the 2025 season. “With odds released for all 32 NFL teams, we are now able to calculate NFL Strength of Schedule using projected win totals from Vegas oddsmakers,” Sharp states in the feature.

What’s wild is that the team with the easiest schedule is the same team that took down the Lions during the 2023 season, the San Francisco 49ers. How did they luck out? According to the stats, the New England Patriots have the second easiest schedule in the NFL, and the New Orleans Saints have the third easiest.

So, how about the Lions? It’s not good. The Detroit Lions actually have the third most difficult schedule in the NFL for the 2025 season, according to their research. Detroit is only behind the New York Giants at No. 1 and Cleveland Browns at No. 2. As a side note, how the heck did the Giants and Browns get such a difficult schedule?

“Projected win totals incorporate current information about team strength, including offseason acquisitions, injuries, and coaching changes,” Sharp states in the feature. “These projections are crafted by sportsbooks aiming to predict future performance, making them more reflective of a team’s current capabilities.”

Sharp adds that historical data confirms that teams who are predicted to have the easiest schedule are much more likely to finish with winning records, while those that are predicted to have the hardest schedules are much more likely to finish with losing records.

So, how accurate are these predictions? Last year, Sharp Football Analysis really nailed it. According to their records, during the 2024 season, only two of 10 teams with the toughest projected NFL schedules made it to the playoffs, and those teams were the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams. Also, of the 10 teams that Sharp Football Analysis predicted would have the easiest schedule, seven had winning records and six of those teams made the playoffs.

The Skinny on the Lions’ 2025 Opponents

The Detroit Lions’ 2025 schedule will include games against the division winners in the AFC West (Kansas City), NFC South (Tampa Bay) and NFC West (Los Angeles Rams), so yes, it’s a difficult roster of games.

Home games include Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota, Dallas, New York Giants, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay. Away games include Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota, Washington, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Kansas City and Los Angeles Rams.

Hey, the Lions were never scared by a little competition. Bring it on, guys.