Lions Get Branch, Mays Back — Are They a Week 7 Safe Pick?
Oct 19, 2026
A one-score favorite is a tough sell
Detroit is favored in Week 7, but only by 1.5 points against Green Bay. For a survivor pool, that's as thin as it gets — a toss-up dressed up as a slight edge. The news that safety Brian Branch and center Cade Mays are set to return to the lineup helps the Lions on the field, but it doesn't rescue a spread this close.
Both players practiced a couple of weeks ago and are now cleared to play Week 7. Getting a starting safety and your center back matters for the quality of the team, no question. It just doesn't move the needle enough to make a 1.5-point home game into the kind of margin survivor players should trust.
Week 7: Lions vs. Packers
The stakes are real for Detroit's season, but the survivor math is simple. A 1.5-point line means the market sees this as a near coin flip. Branch and Mays returning strengthens the roster, yet a game this tight is exactly the spot where good teams lose and bust your entry. If you're hunting a safe survivor pick this week, a near-pick'em at home against a divisional rival isn't it.
The better use of Detroit may be later, when the number gets more comfortable.
The road ahead: Weeks 8–10
Detroit is favored in all four of its upcoming games, but the spreads tell the story for timing your pick:
- Week 8 vs. Minnesota: DET -4.5
- Week 9 at Miami: DET -6.5
- Week 10 vs. New England: DET -1.5
The Week 9 trip to Miami, with Detroit laying 6.5 as a road favorite, is the strongest-looking window of the stretch. Week 8 at home against Minnesota (-4.5) is a step up from this week's coin flip too. Week 10 back home against New England drops right back to -1.5 — another one you'd want to avoid.
If you're saving Detroit, the full roster being healthy only improves the case for those middle weeks. Just be mindful of future availability: if you plan to use the Lions in Week 9, you can't use them in Week 7 or any other week, so pick your spot.
The takeaway
Branch and Mays returning is good news for Detroit, but it doesn't change the survivor verdict for Week 7. A 1.5-point home favorite is too close to trust with your entry on the line. The cleaner Lions windows come later — especially the Week 9 game at Miami. For this week, look elsewhere and bank Detroit for a bigger number.
Weigh the full slate before you lock anything in with our NFL survivor pool picks, and if you're not in a pool yet, start a free survivor pool to put the plan to work.