You’d think a Kansas City Chiefs team that is on a 10-1 run wouldn’t have much trouble getting some betting love.
The Buffalo Bills are getting the early action for a huge divisional round showdown, however.
The betting line has moved a full point since it opened at Chiefs -2.5. At BetMGM, the spread is down to -1.5. That might come from a big bet from someone who believes in Buffalo after last week. The Bills played very well in wild-card weekend. They’re the hot team.
But the Chiefs are rolling too, and have been for more than two months. Maybe we’re forgetting how good they’ve been.
Bills had a great win over Patriots
The Bills were the best team in the wild-card round, though a few other teams were impressive. The Bills scored touchdowns on their first seven possessions against a good New England Patriots defense. Josh Allen was great. Everyone on the Bills seemed to score a touchdown. The Patriots were a popular 4-point underdog and they lost by 30.
For the Bills, it was validation of an offseason full of hype. They spent plenty of the season as Super Bowl favorites even though they dropped some games they shouldn’t have. Buffalo finally looked like the team everyone wanted to see.
That’s why they’re getting betting love early in the week, causing the line shift. It’s not just one game, but the emergence of a team that had an excellent defense all season and an offense that has an exciting quarterback and a wide-open style. The thought that the Bills were waiting until the playoffs to hit their peak might be true.
Also, the Bills already beat the Chiefs 38-10 back on Oct. 10. But for the Chiefs, that was a really long time ago. They’ve changed a lot since then.
Chiefs rallied for a great season
The Chiefs started this season 3-4, with massive defensive issues and Patrick Mahomes turning it over too much. They’ve fixed just about everything. The defense has mostly been very good and the offense is still impressive. Buffalo might have been the best team on wild-card weekend, but Kansas City’s 42-21 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, with Mahomes throwing five touchdowns, was noteworthy too.
Maybe we’ve reached the point of Chiefs fatigue. They have been in the last two Super Bowls, winning one. They’ve been the best team in football since Mahomes took over as the starter to begin the 2018 season. The Bills are fresh and new. Maybe betting on the Chiefs is boring.
There’s a long way to go before Sunday night, when the Bills and Chiefs kick off one of the games of the NFL season. There could be plenty of bettors who see the Chiefs at home laying less than a field goal and grab that action, especially with the line moving. It’s usually not a bad investment to take Mahomes and the Chiefs when they’re playing well.