Seventy-two hours ago, the Kansas City Chiefs had a 9-0 record and were the favorites to win Super Bowl LIX. KC lost 30-21 to the Buffalo Bills last Sunday, making the Detroit Lions the new leaders in the overall NFL futures heading into Week 12.
Betting on the Super Bowl so far in advance is risky, even with only seven weeks remaining in the regular season. That’s why the Lions’ odds will still payout at a 4-to-1 ratio, even though they’re the favorites.
Super Bowl 59 Futures
- Detroit Lions +400
- Kansas City Chiefs +425
- Buffalo Bills +650
- Baltimore Ravens +750
- Philadelphia Eagles +750
- San Francisco 49ers +1200
- Pittsburgh Steelers +1800
- Green Bay Packers +2000
- Houston Texans +2200
- Minnesota Vikings +2200
- Los Angeles Chargers +2800
- Washington Commanders +3300
The Lions hold a one-game lead over the Vikings and are two games ahead of the Packers. They also have the tie-break edge on both divisional opponents.
NFC East Standings
- Detroit Lions 9-1
- Minnesota Vikings 8-2
- Green Bay Packers 9-3
- Chicago Bears 4-6
NFL betting sites project Detroit as a certain winner of the NFC North this season. The maximum allowable bet on the Lions winning the NFC North at Bovada is $20,000, which will reward gamblers with $4,000 if they finish at the top of the division.
NFC North Winner
- Detroit Lions -500
- Minnesota Vikings +400
- Green Bay Packers +1200
- Chicago Bears +50000
Despite the positive forecasts all around, the remaining Lions’ schedule features several tough matchups before the season concludes.
Remaining Detroit Lions Schedule
- Week 12 – at Indianapolis Colts (Lions -9.0)
- Week 13 – vs. Chicago Bears (Lions -10.5)
- Week 14 – vs. Green Bay Packers
- Week 15 – vs. Buffalo Bills
- Week 16 – at Chicago Bears
- Week 17 – at San Francisco 49ers
- Week 18 – vs. Minnesota Vikings
Detroit is favored against the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears over the next two weeks, which will improve their record to 11-1 if the betting lines are accurate.
We can assume the Lions will be favored against the Bears again in Week 16. They’ve already beaten the Green Bay Packers on the road, so there’s a solid chance they’ll take care of business at Ford Field in Week 14.
That leaves the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, and Minnesota Vikings to contend with. Regardless of what the betting lines suggest upon their reintroduction, we believe that Detriot will lose to Buffalo and the 49ers but beat the Vikings at home.
A final record of 14-3 should be more than enough to secure the top seed in the NFC and earn that precious bye week heading into the playoffs.
