NFL betting: For Lions-Chiefs Week 1 matchup, a weird split between bets and money
The most-bet game for the first week of the NFL regular season, unsurprisingly, is the Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs. That's the traditional Thursday opener hosted by the defending Super Bowl champions.
It's a game between two high-profile teams coming into the season. The Lions are buzzy after a great finish to last season. They're the NFC North favorites, despite not winning a division title since 1993. The Chiefs are coming off another title. Kansas City is a 6.5-point favorite at BetMGM.
Bettors are picking sides with one of the weirdest betting splits you'll find.
In terms of number of bets on any Week 1 game, Chiefs -6.5 is the most-bet side. But in terms of money bet on any Week 1 game? More money has come in on Lions +6.5 than any other side.
Many bettors like the Chiefs
The split is easy to decipher. A lot of small bets are coming in on the Chiefs. That makes sense. Casual bettors just watched the Chiefs win a Super Bowl and are laying less than a touchdown on Patrick Mahomes and his squad. It's an enticing bet. The Chiefs are the most reliable team in the NFL right now, and the Lions didn't even make the playoffs last season.
But big bettors like the Lions. They've flooded the market enough to overcome all those small Chiefs bets to be the most-bet side of Week 1, in terms of money. The Chiefs have consistently been a bad bet against the spread the past few seasons. That is largely because the Chiefs are a big brand with Mahomes and have become a public team in the betting world, and oddsmakers inflate their spreads. Serious bettors understand that if you bet the Chiefs, you're going to pay a tax.
Some bettors might be thrilled to get the Chiefs at less than seven points, which is a key number in football betting. But others believe the line of 6.5 is too high, which means the Lions are the better value in their eyes.
Lions-Chiefs should be entertaining
The opening game of the NFL season will be fascinating from all angles, including in the betting world.
The Lions won eight of their last 10 to finish last season, barely missing out on a wild-card spot. They did keep the Green Bay Packers out of the playoffs with a huge Week 18 win at Lambeau Field. That took the Lions' offseason hype to another level. An opening-game win over the Chiefs, or even a very competitive loss, would validate Detroit as a potential breakout team.
The Chiefs are everyone's barometer. They have been to five straight AFC championship games, and have won two Super Bowls in that span. They had a lot of rookies playing as they retool the roster, and should be a Super Bowl contender yet again.
There is one thing bettors agree on. The most-bet total for Week 1 of the NFL season is over 54.5 on Chiefs-Lions.
