New York sportsbooks underestimated Buffalo this season. That’s evident in a review of Bills futures from before the season began.
Buffalo could compile as many as 13 wins in this regular season, meaning the Bills have not only already surpassed their win expectancy, but they are a threat to make other futures bets pay off, as well. If that happens, bettors’ bills will multiply.
What Bills futures bets looked like in the preseason
Thanks to a solid defense and a great season by quarterback Josh Allen, Buffalo is still in contention for the AFC East title with five games to play. Even if the Bills are unable to overtake the New England Patriots, they have a firm grip on a wild card spot with a two-game lead on the rest of the AFC contenders.
The most optimistic win total for the Bills at legal sportsbooks like FanDuel prior to the season was seven. At 8-3 heading into their Thanksgiving Day game at Dallas, anyone who took the over on that bet has already won.
If the Bills are able to make up their current two-game deficit and leapfrog New England in the division standings, New Yorkers who took DraftKings’ or Rivers’ preseason bet will reap the benefits of that +1200 line. FanDuel had a preseason line of +750 on Buffalo being a wild card team, so that looks pretty sure to pay off now.
Wagers could get even more lucrative if the Bills advance in the postseason, however. DraftKings and Rivers had Buffalo +5000 to win the AFC championship game.
Those same two books along with FanDuel posted lines on the Bills winning Super Bowl LIV. Before the season began, those odds were +8000.
Hindsight is 20/20, and there are probably many New Yorkers wishing they had put money down on Buffalo winning more than seven games this year. There is still time to profit off the Bills’ success, however.
Current Bills futures at New York legal sportsbooks
FanDuel has some of the best lines in the state on Bills futures right now. Those are relegated to them winning the AFC East, winning the AFC championship game and winning Super Bowl LIV.
FanDuel has the Bills +3600 to win their division and conference. Buffalo is +7500 to win the Super Bowl at the same sportsbook.
For comparison, DraftKings and Rivers peg the Bills at +2000 to win their division. Both of those books currently offer odds of +3000 on the Bills being AFC champions.
DraftKings’ and Rivers’ line on a Buffalo Super Bowl victory right now is +6600. As the only legal New York sportsbooks are at the state’s four upstate casinos, which odds New Yorkers can access partially depends on how far they are willing to travel.
One futures bet involving the Bills that has a line that has actually grown since the beginning of the season is Allen’s MVP chances. Before the season, he sat at +10000 at all three of the aforementioned books.
Allen is now +12500 to take home that hardware at DraftKings and Rivers while FanDuel has doubled that original line. Appropriately, it appears a long shot.
New York legal sportsbooks thought the same about Buffalo making the playoffs before the season began, though. Now anyone who took that bet should be getting ready to cash out.
