What Are Lions' Current Odds to Make 2025 Playoffs?

The Detroit Lions’ playoff hopes are looking increasingly bleak as a result of how the last two days of NFL action have transpired. 

The Lions (7-5), with their loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving and the Bears’ victory over the Eagles Friday, find themselves firmly behind both teams in the NFC North, with just five games remaining in the 2025 season. Additionally, the Packers now hold the tiebreaker over the Lions, due to sweeping the season series with Detroit.

Detroit came into Week 13 with a 73 percent chance to earn a postseason berth, per the New York Times’ playoff simulator. After Packers and Bears victories plus the Cowboys' win over the Chiefs Thanksgiving Day, though, the Lions’ odds now stand at just 32 percent – a 41 percent decrease.

Let’s take a look now at the latest NFC playoff standings, beginning with where the Lions sit in the NFC North.

NFC North 

1. Chicago Bears: 9-3
2. Green Bay Packers: 8-3-1
3. Detroit Lions: 7-5
4. Minnesota Vikings: 4-7

The Lions are now two full games behind the Ben Johnson-led Bears and a game-and-a-half behind Jordan Love and the Packers.

Division leaders

NFC West: Rams (9-2*)

NFC North: Bears (9-3) 

NFC East: Eagles (8-4)

NFC South: Buccaneers (6-5*) 

Wild Card race (top three qualify for the playoffs)

• Seahawks: 8-3*

• Packers: 8-3-1

• 49ers: 8-4*

• Lions: 7-5

• Cowboys: 6-5-1

• Panthers: 6-6*

*The Rams, the Buccaneers, the Seahawks, the 49ers and the Panthers each have a Week 13 game left to play.

With that said, the Lions basically find themselves two games out of a playoff spot with five weeks to go. They need to catch one of the following four teams, which all essentially have a two-game lead over them. 

• 9-3 Bears

• 8-3-1 Packers

• 8-3 Seahawks

• 8-4 49ers

It also doesn't get any easier for Detroit in the weeks ahead, with matchups looming against the Cowboys (6-5-1) and the Rams (9-2). 

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys are red hot and just knocked off the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles and the reigning AFC champion Chiefs in back-to-back weeks. Meanwhile, the Rams, led by former Lions signal-caller and MVP frontrunner Matthew Stafford, might just be the best team in the entire league. They've won six straight, and don't look to be slowing down anytime soon. 

It's tough sledding for Dan Campbell’s squad moving forward, and at this juncture, Detroit’s Week 14 primetime showdown with Prescott & Co. is virtually a must-win contest.