The Buffalo Bills, small road favorites against the New England Patriots in a huge AFC matchup at 1 p.m. EST in the snow and bitter cold (it will feel like 23 degrees F), and the Denver Broncos, home underdogs against the Green Bay Packers (4:25 p.m. EST) are the top betting stories for NFL Week 15 this morning. Is that a preview of the Super Bowl?
The Bills, who are 9-4, must defeat the Patriots, who are 11-2 and have won ten straight games, or they will lose the AFC East division.
“There are eight games with spreads of 6 or more points in Week 15,” said Christian Cipollini, Trading Manager, BetMGM. “A few underdogs covering or winning outright will break up parlays.”
Bills vs. Patriots, Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals, and Packers vs. Broncos are the most popular bet games (tickets) at BetMGM thus far. Bills -1.5, Los Angeles Chargers +6 (against the Chiefs in Kansas City), and Carolina Panthers -2.5 (against the Saints in New Orleans) are the most popular bet spreads (tickets).
The Houston Texans -10 (at home against the Arizona Cardinals), Bills -1.5, and Philadelphia Eagles -12.5 (at home against the Las Vegas Raiders) have the highest bet spreads by handle. Cleveland Browns vs. Chicago Bears (Under 38.5), Bills vs. Patriots (Over 49), and Ravens vs. Bengals (Over 51.5) had the highest bet totals so far this morning.
At theScore Bet, the same is true. Bills vs. Patriots, Ravens vs. Bengals, Browns vs. Bears, Detroit Lions vs. L.A. Rams, and Raiders vs. Eagles are the most popular bet games by handle.
Lions +6 (@ Rams) – 69.1%, Seahawks -13.5 (vs. Colts) – 71.3%, and 49ers -12.5 (vs. Titans) – 88.6% are the most lopsided splits by percentage of straight bets at theScore Bet.
With victories today, the Patriots, Broncos, and Rams are in the postseason.
The Lions/Rams, Chargers/Chiefs, and Bills/Patriots teams are of particular interest to Joey Feazel, Head of Football at Caesars Sportsbook.
“We’re closely watching the final line movement in the Colts-Seahawks matchup. Over the past week, we’ve seen a significant 10-point adjustment following Daniel Jones’ injury,” he said. “It will be interesting to see how bettors respond and whether this shift impacts the overall handle compared to what we anticipated a few weeks ago.
“We’ve seen notable movement in the Rams-Lions line, shifting toward the Rams from -4.5 to -6. The total has also climbed from 52.5 to 55. This matchup carries extra intrigue given the history of the Jared Goff–Matthew Stafford trade, which fueled success for both franchises and turned this into a rivalry of sorts. With both teams fighting for position and boasting high-powered offenses, we expect strong bettor engagement, especially on props, given the scoring potential on both sides.
“We’ve seen some sharp action on the Chargers early, yet the line continues to drift toward the Chiefs despite their recent inconsistencies. The total has dropped, likely influenced by the forecasted cold weather, which is expected to play a role in how this game unfolds.”
Do the Bills still possess the spirit of a champion? Josh Allen, the quarterback for the Bills, does, particularly on the running side. The Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, the Bengals' Joe Burrow, and the Ravens' Lamar Jackson won't prevent the Bills from winning the Super Bowl this year, therefore they can't afford to lose today. The Patriots' Drake Maye is the only obstacle, at least in terms of leaving the AFC.
“Despite the Patriots winning the first meeting and now hosting in Foxborough after their bye week, we’re seeing heavy action on the Bills,” said Feazel. “A win here could help Josh Allen strengthen his MVP case, though he doesn’t fully control his own destiny. There’s little evidence he’s outperformed last season, and he has no ability to stop Matthew Stafford and his historic season along the way.”
Regarding player news, the Indianapolis Colts will start 44-year-old quarterback Phillip Rivers against the Seahawks in Seattle today. Daniel Jones will miss the game due to an Achilles tear. Rivers hasn't played a football game in 1800 days. The Colts' hopes of making the playoffs rest on Phillips' shoulders. The Colts are huge underdogs at DraftKings, at +700, while the Seahawks are -1100.
The Commanders, Raiders, and Jets are all without their starting quarterbacks, which is another significant injury update. Tee Higgins, a receiver for the Bengals, will not play, but CeeDee Lamb of the Cowboys is back in the starting lineup. Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze, who was deemed active, worsened a foot injury during warm-up and is out today, according to last-minute information from ESPN's Adam Schefter. Shefter also stated that Josh Jacobs, a running back for the Packers, is likely to play against the Broncos despite being labeled as questionable due to a knee injury. Parker Washington, Emari Demercado, Joshua Palmer, Cedric Tillman, and Deebo Samuel are other active players, according to Shefter.
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