Detroit Lions fans, there's finally some hope. For a team that has lost 46 of its past 67 games since 2018, hope is a rare term in Lions' supporters' lingo. Having made the playoffs only three times since 2000, the bar has been set very low. But this offseason Detroit added some key pieces towards enhancing its future prospects.

On offense, veteran wide receiver D.J. Chark looks to rekindle a promising start to his career in Jacksonville on a one-year contract, joined by first-round rookie Jameson Williams (Alabama), and 2021's breakout sensation Amon-Ra St. Brown. Adding to quarterback Jared Goff's weapons are dynamic running back D'Andre Swift and former first-round tight end T.J. Hockenson. On paper, Detroit has one of the more intriguing pass catching corps in the league.

Defensively, the Lions took the hometown kid, Aidan Hutchinson from Michigan, with the second pick in April's draft to solidify their defensive line. The team allowed the fourth most yards in the NFL last season so, while still a work in progress, there likely should be improvement in 2022.

The schedule makers did Detroit a favor by giving them three home games in the first four weeks and overall, the schedule doesn't look overly daunting. If the defense can take a major step forward, the Lions might not be eliminated from the playoff race as early as fans might be accustomed to over the years.

• More NFL futures: SportsLine Projection Model's best bets

Below, you'll find the Detroit Lions 2022 schedule, win total and more futures odds from Caesars Sportsbook, followed by picks from top SportsLine NFL analysts Larry Hartstein, R.J. White and Alex Selesnick. You'll also find three bets favored by the SportsLine Projection Model.

Entering the 2022 NFL season, Larry is 427-344 all-time on NFL sides (plus $3,764 for $100 players), including 394-330 ATS. He went 68-50 ATS (58 percent) and 8-3 on moneyline plays last season for a profit of $1,552. Over the past seven years, R.J.'s SuperContest picks are 329-250-21 (56.8 percent) and he consistently crushes the NFL: He went 445-378-24 on ATS picks from 2017-21, returning $2,542 to $100 players as SportsLine's No. 1 NFL expert in against the spread picks. Selesnick (aka PropStarz) specializes in MLB, NFL and NBA prop betting, where he implements a combination of research, statistical analysis and mathematical modeling to deliver profitable long-term results.

Detroit Lions 2022 schedule

Week 1: vs. Philadelphia
Week 2: vs. Washington
Week 3: at Minnesota
Week 4: vs. Seattle
Week 5: at New England
Week 6: BYE
Week 7: at Dallas
Week 8: vs. Miami
Week 9: vs. Green Bay
Week 10: at Chicago
Week 11: at New York Giants
Week 12: vs. Buffalo (THU, Thanksgiving)
Week 13: vs. Jacksonville
Week 14: vs. Minnesota
Week 15: at New York Jets
Week 16: at Carolina (SAT)
Week 17: vs. Chicago
Week 18: at Green Bay

Detroit Lions 2022 futures odds

Win Total Over: 6.0 (-160)
Win Total Under: 6.0 (+140)

Make Playoffs: +475
Miss Playoffs: -700

Win Division: +1000
Win Conference: +6000
Win Super Bowl: +12500

So will the Lions go over or under their win total for the 2022 season? And what other futures bets are worth making? ... Join SportsLine right now to see Larry Hartstein and R.J. White's Detroit Lions 2022 futures picks, all from the acclaimed experts who have crushed the NFL for years!