The NFL finally returns on ‘Thursday Night Football’ with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs hosting the upstart Detroit Lions.

The Chiefs were -7.5 most of the summer, but that number dipped after star tight end Travis Kelce injured his knee in practice on Tuesday.

Kelce’s status for the opener is now in doubt.

I took the Lions early at +7.5 and still like them at the current number.

Detroit is live to pull the upset on Thursday.

The Lions have a lot of hype entering the season for the second year in a row, but it’s well-deserved.

After just missing out on the playoffs in 2022, I see them getting over the hump this season.

One reason I like Detroit to keep this game close is because it has the recipe to keep Patrick Mahomes on the sidelines.

And let’s be honest, the best way to beat Kansas City is to limit Mahomes’ possessions.

The Lions signed David Montgomery away from the Bears and drafted Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th-overall pick.

Look for this 1-2 punch to be heavily involved in the offensive game plan to take pressure off quarterback Jared Goff in a hostile environment.

Sometimes the opening Thursday night game turns out to be a dud, but don’t expect this matchup to disappoint.

These two teams should give us a close, entertaining game and with Kelce’s status uncertain, I’ll gladly grab take the Lions at a big moneyline price.

The pick: Lions ML (+195, BetRivers)