The Detroit Lions have a shot at doing something that the franchise never has done in the Super Bowl era. That feat would be for the franchise to win the NFC Championship. The Lions advanced to the game in 1991 before falling to Washington, 41-10, after going 12-4 under then head coach Wayne Fontes.
Up next in Detroit’s quest is a Sunday matching in the Divisional Round against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NBC, 3 p.m.) The winner faces whichever team prevails in Saturday’s Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers game (FOX, 8:15).
Other than that 1991 campaign, the Lions’ Super Bowl odds always have been slim. Detroit has reached the second round of the NFL Playoffs twice since 1970, making the Divisional round in 1970 and 1983.
Besides the three seasons mentioned above, Detroit only has made the playoffs eight times between 1992 and 2023, losing in the Wild Card round each time before finally breaking through by defeating the Los Angeles Rams, 24-23, on Sunday night.
With referee Bill Vinovich and his crew being announced as the officials for the Tampa Bay vs. Detroit NFC Divisional Round, BetMichigan.com did our Michigan sports betting due diligence. We investigated Vinovich’s statistics as a referee to see how it might impact the game and those who bet it.
Bill Vinovich’s 2023-34 Statistics
Bill Vinovich Betting Trends
What Can We Expect from Vinovich Crew Sunday?
Vinovich is one of the NFL’s most experienced officials. The 63-year-old Pennsylvania native has served as an NFL referee in two stints, between 2001 and 2006 and since 2012. His NFL officiating career began as a side judge under head official Dick Hantak and Ed Hochuli between 2001 and 2003, while serving as a referee in 2004.
Vinovich ranked in a tie for 10th out of 17 official teams when it came to penalties per game in 2023-24, at 13.38. His 92.56 penalty yards per game ranked ninth among the group, per NFLPenalties.com.
For those looking to wager on Sunday’s NFC Divisional round, Vinovich’s ATS home record is 3-11-2 this year, with an over/under total record of 6-10 in those games.
Oddsmakers at ESPN BET Michigan believe Detroit has what it takes to perform well in Sunday’s clash, with the Lions listed at -300 to win, with a -6.5 spread in favor of the NFC North champs.
While Vinovich’s crew has a sub-.500 record against the pregame total, it’s worth noting that Sunday’s contest is currently listed at 48.5, which is well south of where Tampa Bay (32 points) and Detroit (24 points) wound up offensively last weekend.
BetMichigan.com – your home for Michigan sportsbook promos – will be covering the Lions from a sports betting perspective throughout the playoffs and all year.
