The Buffalo Bills are back in the familiar place they’ve occupied at the start of recent seasons: near the top of the Super Bowl conversation. And this time, one of the industry’s most recognizable oddsmakers thinks the hype is justified.
DraftKings head oddsmaker Johnny Avello, a Sports Betting Hall of Fame member once called the “Wizard of Odds” by The New York Times, said Buffalo has the kind of roster that can finally push through.
“This team is good enough to have a Super Bowl win, actually multiple Super Bowl wins, but they don't even have one,” Avello said. “So, time's coming. Hopefully it'll be this year for them.”
The betting market reflects that belief. DraftKings has the Bills with the best odds to win the AFC, just ahead of the Baltimore Ravens, and the second-best odds to win the Super Bowl, behind only the Los Angeles Rams.
Buffalo’s first test comes Sunday in Houston, where the Bills will try to start a season that comes with big expectations and an uncomfortable bit of history. The Bills have not won on the road against the Texans since 2006, and Houston beat Buffalo by four points last November. In that game, Josh Allen was sacked eight times.
“They got after us last year,” Allen said. “There's no secret about it.”
Even with that recent result in mind, DraftKings has Buffalo as a 1.5-point favorite for Sunday’s game.
Avello pointed to Allen as the biggest reason the Bills are viewed so strongly.
“Josh Allen is Josh Allen,” he said.
Allen also opens the season as DraftKings’ favorite for NFL MVP at +600, ahead of Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow. Avello said Allen’s value comes from the way he can hurt defenses with his legs and his refusal to back down, while also stressing the importance of health.
“He just takes off and he has a will to not only get that first down or get whatever he needs to keep the drive going, but a will to win,” Avello said. “You can see it in his face. That's the kind of guy you want on your team.”
Buffalo is also stepping into a season marked by change. The Bills have a new head coach, a new defensive coordinator, a new No. 1 wide receiver and are getting ready to move into a new stadium.
Avello thinks that shake-up could help.
“Maybe some guys will bring some more energy, some more leadership in the clubhouse,” he said.
Still, the standard around the Bills hasn’t shifted. Buffalo has won at least 11 games in each of the past six full seasons, but that kind of regular-season success no longer feels like the finish line.
“Every year it's 11, 12 wins, so that's never an issue,” Avello said. “But it's about winning the whole thing.”
After the opener in Houston, the Bills head home for another milestone. One week from Thursday, Buffalo will face the Detroit Lions in the first regular-season game at the new Highmark Stadium.
That game will be broadcast on 7ABC, with complete pregame and postgame coverage.
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Josh Allen Faces A Week 1 Problem Bills Fans Know Too Well
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