Every week, three betting lines are released by the various sports books around the country, primarily based on those in Las Vegas. Those are the spread, the over/under, and the money line. The spread is the number of points a team must win by to “cover.” The over/under is the total number of combined points expected to be scored in the game. And the money line indicates how much you must bet on a favored team in order to win $100 (indicated with a “-” before the number) or the amount you would win if you bet $100 on an underdog team (indicated with a “+”).
Most sports books opened the week with the Bills as 6.5 point favorites but have already climbed to 7 points. There was a hot second where DraftKings was offering the Bills as 7.5 point favorites. That sort of fluctuation of a half point up and then back down can be seen across the board at different casinos and sports books. This line could slowly creep up as money comes in and the week goes on, so grab 6.5 while you can if it’s still available in your neighborhood sports book.
The early money lines have been all over the place. As of the time of this article being written, you can have the Bills at anywhere from -295 to -340 (a $45 swing is pretty substantial from one book to another). Simultaneously, the Colts are available at anywhere from +240 to +260; a far more reasonable gap. Some books have the Buffalo bet to win $100 going up and some going down. As the week progresses and bets comes in, a consensus will likely start to form across the betting world.
The over/under for this game has been very stable at 52. You can find 52.5 or 51 if you are willing to hunt for it, but 52 is the number most books are offering and what several have been sitting at with little to no movement. The forecast in Orchard Park is clear and “chilly” as Steve Tasker would say. This is good news for the Bills’ high-powered offense as they won’t be fighting the elements in addition to the Colts on Saturday afternoon.