Washington Redskins vs. Detroit Lions: Betting Odds, Analysis, NFL Pick

The Washington Redskins (4-2) will be going for their fifth straight victory Sunday when they visit the Detroit Lions (3-3), who are listed as small home favorites and trying for their third win in a row.

The defending NFC East champion Redskins have battled back from an 0-2 start with four consecutive wins, and they will try to stay perfect on the road by improving to 3-0.

Point spread: The Lions opened as one-point favorites; the total was 48.5 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report.)

NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 27.1-23.0 Lions (NFL picks on every game)

Why the Redskins can cover the spread

A rough start brought Washington together and has the team once again contending for the division title. Two of the four wins for the Redskins have taken place away from home and came down to the wire, with the defense coming through at the end.

Offensively, they have come alive during their winning streak, averaging nearly 26 points per game behind the solid play of quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has thrown eight touchdowns with three interceptions over that stretch. Washington has also gone 5-2 straight up and against the spread in its last seven games versus NFC opponents, and won 15 of 21 in the series with Detroit.

Why the Lions can cover the spread

There may not be too many betting trends supporting the Lions in this matchup, but they have played much better lately as they go for their third straight win, with the previous two also coming at home.

They have been fortunate to have kicker Matt Prater win those games with his leg, as he is 9-of-10 on his field-goal attempts overall this season. But there is something to be said for having a strong kicker, especially when they are favored by less than a field goal. In addition, the Redskins have gone just 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games in Week 7, so they also have that working in their favor.

Smart pick

Which one of these teams is for real? That's the question bettors need to answer when handicapping this game. Detroit is only 3-8 SU in its last 11 games versus teams with winning records, which is telling and will most likely factor into the ATS result if the team loses again since the spread is so small.

Washington has played better opponents so far this year and is the better team. Take the Redskins to stay perfect on the road.

Betting trends

The Lions are 3-8 SU in their last 11 games against teams with winning records.

The total has gone over in five of the Lions' last six games at home.

The Lions are 4-12 ATS in their last 16 games after consecutive wins.

All NFL betting lines and point spreads data courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and Odds Shark YouTube for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.