The NFL’s Hard Knocks television series zooms in on one football franchise, breaking down the intricacies of training camp, roster battles and the many characters within an organization.
Like the name suggests, the teams featured on Hard Knocks are often down in the dumps as recent playoff appearances exempt teams from being the featured franchise. While the Hard Knocks squads are bad on paper, they are actually good bet for NFL wagerers.
Below, we break down the Hard Knocks betting trends, where the NFL betting profit can be found and why you should bet on the Detroit Lions in 2022.
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Bet The Detroit Lions After 2022 Hard Knocks Appearance
The Detroit Lions have seen some tough times. After a 3-13-1 2021 season in which the Lions didn’t get a win until December, Detroit certainly fits the description of Hard Knocks.
Coach Dan Campbell, QB Jared Goff and the entire Lions organization will be featured in the 2022 preseason Hard Knocks show this year, and there’s reason to believe they’ll be the team to bet on this season.
Below, we break down how Hard Knocks teams have been a great bet historically and in recent years, giving you confidence in a Detroit bet. However, the Lions have flashed positive betting trends themselves and have been a great ATS squad recently, too.
Despite the rough season in the win column, the Lions were one of the best spread teams in the league last year, covering at a 66.7 percent clip. Posting an 11-6 ATS record, the Lions regularly covered during losing efforts. There shouldn’t be much more hype around Detroit in 2022, so they’ll have the opportunity to sneak out some covers again next season.
Lock in your 2022 Detroit Lions bets early and often over at our best NFL betting sites:
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Hard Knocks Brings NFL Profits
| Year | Team | Record | ATS | ATS Profits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Baltimore | 10-6 | 8-7-1 | N/A |
| 2002 | Dallas | 5-11 | 7-8-1 | N/A |
| 2007 | Kansas City | 4-12 | 7-8-1 | N/A |
| 2008 | Dallas | 9-7 | 7-9 | N/A |
| 2009 | Cincinnati | 10-6 | 7-9 | N/A |
| 2010 | NY Jets | 11-5 | 9-7 | N/A |
| 2012 | Miami | 7-9 | 7-8-1 | N/A |
| 2013 | Cincinnati | 11-5 | 10-5-1 | N/A |
| 2014 | Atlanta | 6-10 | 7-9 | N/A |
| 2015 | Houston | 9-7 | 9-7 | +$48.22 |
| 2016 | LA Rams | 4-12 | 4-11-1 | -$738.39 |
| 2017 | Tampa Bay | 5-11 | 6-9-1 | -$358.19 |
| 2018 | Cleveland | 7-8-1 | 10-6 | +$307.42 |
| 2019 | Las Vegas | 7-9 | 8-8 | -$91.83 |
| 2020 | LA Chargers | 7-9 | 8-7-1 | +$36.37 |
| 2020 | LA Rams | 10-6 | 9-7 | +$119.70 |
| 2021 | Dallas | 12-5 | 13-4 | +$786.16 |
| 2021 | Indianapolis | 9-8 | 10-7 | +$210.99 |
| TOTAL | 18 TEAMS | 143-146-1 | 146-136-8 | +$320.45 |
All data as of March 30 from Odds Shark’s Sports Betting Database
Despite posting a slightly below .500 record in regular-season play following appearances on Hard Knocks, the featured teams have covered the spread at a profitable clip. With a 146-136-8 all-time ATS record, if you bet $100 on every game Hard Knocks participants played in the following season, you’d have +$320.45 in all-time earnings.
Of note, however, is that recent teams have been even more profitable. Since 2018 (six Hard Knocks seasons), no featured franchise has posted an ATS record below .500, and the total profits would be +$1,368.81 with a 58-39-1 record.
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Dallas Cowboys: Hard Knocks Heroes
One reason the recent Hard Knocks participants have been so profitable against the spread is thanks to the 2021 Dallas Cowboys. With a 12-5 overall record, the Cowboys smashed spreads all year, posting a 13-4 ATS record for +$786.16 for $100 bettors. Dak Prescott and company finished as the best ATS team in the NFL.
If you think the Cowboys will continue their hot ATS streak into 2022, lock in your bet over at our top football sportsbook:
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How To Use Hard Knocks Betting Trends:
The best way to use this Hard Knocks betting advice is to head over to one of our top NFL Betting Sites and find a point spread to wager on. A spread in football is a figure made by odds specialists that reflects the expected margin of victory or defeat for NFL teams.
The “favorite” team would need to cover the set number of points (denoted by a minus sign) and the “underdog” has to win outright or not lose the game by more than the set number. Typically, the point spread for an NFL game would look like this:
Dallas Cowboys -7
Detroit Lions +7
This means that the Cowboys are favored to beat the Lions by seven points or more.
