All football fans are aware that the odds change throughout the season. In September before we had lift-off for the new season, sportsbooks had pinned the Chiefs and 49ers as the top two teams in the betting markets. You can argue that it is a lack of imagination to put the two teams that contested the previous Super Bowl at the top of the odds, but it also made plenty of sense. The Ravens were tagged as third-favorites, which was, again, understandable.
As the season has progressed, the 49ers – for obvious reasons – faded away. The Ravens’ odds have been up and down throughout a season where they have not always looked at their best, although they are still very much in the mix. The Chiefs have stayed around the top of the markets, but they finally lost their favorites status after losing to the Buffalo Bills in Week 11. However, it wasn’t the Bills that got the nod from sportsbooks; it was the Detroit Lions, a team that has been, for many, the most impressive in the NFL this season.
A fascinating matchup in Week 15
We now have a situation where the Lions and Bills sandwich the Chiefs at the top of the Super Bowl betting markets. We know, of course, that nothing is certain in football, but when you are looking through NFL previews for Week 15, the Bills and Lions game will surely stand out among all others as the most fascinating tie. And just maybe, it will give us a preview of the matchup for Super Bowl LIX on February 9. They have been the cream of the crop in the AFC and NFC in recent weeks, so it is certainly a possibility.
The pair will clash at Ford Field in Detroit on December 15, with the home advantage likely to move the needle toward the Lions in the betting odds and spreads. One blip against the Buccaneers aside, the Lions have mostly blown teams away at Ford Field this season, exceeding 50 points scored in their last two home outings. The Bills will be a different proposition, though, and they are a team that really looks to have a lot of momentum, as evidenced by their thrilling defeat of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Teams’ droughts may put bettors off
Of course, the romantics will also point to the fact that the Lions and Bills are two of the teams with the most famous – or infamous – droughts in the NFL. The Lions have never been to a Super Bowl, although they did win some national championships before the Super Bowl was conceived. And the Bills, as we all know, are considered somewhat cursed, especially due to that record run of four consecutive Super Bowl losses in the early 1990s.
When it comes to betting across the Playoffs, there might be a sense of reluctance for some to avoid backing these two to go all the way. There will be those who look at the Chiefs, seeing qualities shared with the Patriots in 2010 of finding a way to win, and they will look at the Bills and Lions and see two franchises that sometimes find a way to mess it up. Yet, droughts in sports have to end sometime, and it’s difficult to argue with the form of these two teams.
The game on December 15 may act as a bellwether for both teams going forward. The Bills and Lions are both going to the Playoffs – there’s little doubt about that – so the outcome is going to be somewhat superficial. But it could be a momentum-builder for the winning team and a guide for bettors when navigating the Playoffs. It’s a fascinating matchup, and it might just be a preview before we see the teams clash again in February.
