Expert Predictions: Will Detroit Lions Defeat Washington Commanders?

The Detroit Lions will battle the Washington Commanders Sunday at Northwest Stadium.

Detroit, which hasn’t lost two consecutive games since Weeks 7 and 8 of the 2022 season, suffered a dismal 27-24 defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9. Meanwhile, Washington, which sits at 3-6 and in third place in the NFC East, has lost four in a row.

Without further ado, here are the predictions from the Detroit Lions On SI staff for the Lions' Week 10 affair with Washington.

Christian Booher 

Under Dan Campbell, the Lions have made a habit out of bouncing back. That resolve will be tested once again in a trip to Washington D.C. to take on a banged-up Commanders team.

The Commanders will be without starting quarterback Jayden Daniels, leaving them to lean on Marcus Mariota to try and pull off the upset. While Mariota has carved out a nice career as a backup, he could struggle under the constant duress presented by Aidan Hutchinson.

Detroit's offense has likely heard the criticism surrounding it after the performance against Minnesota, and as a result, will be motivated to right the ship. Once again, the Lions find their backs against the wall, and it would be unlike Campbell and company to come out flat. 

Armed with motivation from recent struggles and last year's playoff loss to Washington, the Lions control the line of scrimmage and avoid a third loss in four games.

Lions 31, Commanders 24

Vito Chirco 

The Detroit Lions will try to get back on track Sunday when they take on the Jayden Daniels-less Washington Commanders.

Veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota will get the start in Daniels’ place. Mariota, currently in his 11th NFL season, has played in parts of five games in 2025, and has thrown for 639 yards and the same amount of touchdowns as interceptions (four).

Meanwhile, Lions quarterback Jared Goff will attempt to bounce back from an uneven performance against Minnesota, in which he was sacked four times, tossed an interception and threw for a season-low 5.8 yards per attempt. 

I believe that Goff & Co. will fare better against Dan Quinn’s defense, which has allowed the fourth-most yards (2,282) and the fifth-most touchdowns (19) through the air through nine weeks.

With that said, the Lions will look much more like a playoff team and emerge victorious in this Week 10 contest.

Lions 31, Commanders 21 

John Maakaron 

The Lions are seeking to rebound from a tough loss to a division rival. 

Dan Campbell and the coaching staff are tasked with coming up with a game plan offensively that best utilizes the skillset of a talented roster. 

The offensive line must step up and alleviate the growing concerns about their ability to pass protect effectively and open up holes for Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. 

Washington is dealing with a myriad of injuries, so the luster was gone when Jayden Daniels dislocated his elbow. 

Detroit’s defense should continue their solid play, giving the team a boost of energy when needed. 

Lions 27, Commanders 17

Emmett Matasovsky

Detroit enters this game with quite a few questions, as its battered secondary is without Kerby Joseph for another week. Additionally, guard Christian Mahogany is out, so the Lions will be breaking in a new starter on the interior of the offensive line for the first time this season.

That said, if there is any game to be without Joseph, it is this weekend’s game. Washington has three of its top five receivers to begin the year out, alongside starting quarterback Jayden Daniels. The Commanders have also limped to a 3-6 start to the season.

Frankly, if Detroit does not emerge victorious, even away from the friendly confines of Ford Field, there is a cause for concern. This is not a tune-up game, but it should not be close, either. The best way to describe this for Detroit would be as a trap game.

In a winning effort, Jahmyr Gibbs breaks 150 total yards, Jameson Williams finds the end zone and Sam LaPorta hits 80 receiving yards.

Lions 31, Commanders 20