The Chiefs put together an incredible 15-game winning streak, while the Bills reeled off 11 consecutive victories.
Another Super Bowl victory for the Chiefs would see them become the first team to win three in a row, so they’re sure to have a target on their back in January.
However, the same team was able to end both of those streaks: The Buffalo Bills. Josh Allen and co showed their class by beating the Lions and the Chiefs en route to a 13-4 record.
They’re more than capable of going toe-to-toe with any team in the NFL, and the only reason they’re a longer price is because they may need to visit Kansas and win to progress.
The last time that was the case in 2021, Allen came within seconds of leading them to that win.
The question mark hanging over the Lions is their defence. They have a potent offence, but their lengthy defensive injury list means winning it all could be a tall order.
We’re also keen to back the Philadelphia Eagles who are such an elite double-threat. They can run you into the ground with Saquon Barkley, or beat you in the air with Jalen Hurts.
Super Bowl LIX betting tips
Buffalo Bills – 6/1
Philadelphia Eagles – 7/1
Josh Allen to win MVP – 11/2
Jalen Hurts to win MVP – 11/1
How do the NFL playoffs work?
A total of 14 teams qualify for the end-of-season playoffs, with seven advancing from the American Football Conference and seven from the National Football Conference.
There are four divisions within each conference, and the eight winners of the divisions receive home-field advantage.
In addition to this, the team with the best record in each conference receive a first-round bye, while the remaining 12 teams duke it out in the Wild Card round.
You can find a full description of playoff seeding below:
- No. 1 seed: Best record in AFC/NFC
- No. 2 seed: Second-best record among division winners
- No. 3 seed: Third-best record among division winners
- No. 4 seed: Fourth-best record among division winners
- No. 5 seed: Best record among wild-card teams
- No. 6 seed: Second-best record among wild-card teams
- No. 7 seed: Third-best record among wild-card teams
The lowest ranked seed will visit the highest side, meaning the first round of matches pits seventh vs second, sixth vs third, and fifth vs fourth.
When teams progress to the next round of the playoffs, they are not reseeded. For example, if the number seven seed were to upset the number two seed, they could expect to visit the number one seed in the next round.
Alternatively, if only the top four sides were still standing, the fourth seed would visit the first seed, and the third seed would visit the second seed.
NFL playoff and Super Bowl LIX winner odds
Detroit Lions – 11/4
Kansas City Chiefs – 7/2
Buffalo Bills – 6/1
Baltimore Ravens – 6/1
Philadelphia Eagles – 7/1
Minnesota Vikings – 16/1
Green Bay Packers – 18/1
LA Chargers – 25/1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 30/1
LA Rams – 35/1
Washington Commanders – 40/1
Denver Broncos – 60/1
Pittsburgh Steelers – 75/1
Houston Texans – 75/1
Super Bowl LIX MVP odds
Patrick Mahomes – 3/1
Jared Goff – 5/1
Josh Allen – 11/2
Lamar Jackson – 6/1
Jalen Hurts – 11/1
Jahmyr Gibbs – 12/1
Saquon Barkley – 16/1
Sam Darnold – 19/1
Amon Ra St. Brown – 21/1
Derrick Henry – 24/1
Justin Herbert – 24/1
Baker Mayfield – 24/1
NFL playoff schedule
AFC Wild Card Round
Saturday, Jan 11: Los Angeles Chargers (5) @ Houston Texans (4) (2130 GMT)
Monday, Jan 12: Pittsburgh Steelers (6) @ Baltimore Ravens (3) (0100 GMT)
Sunday, Jan 12: Denver Broncos (7) @ Buffalo Bills (2) (1800 GMT)
NFC Wild Card Round
Sunday, Jan 12: Green Bay Packers (7) @ Philadelphia Eagles (2) (2130 GMT)
Monday, Jan 13: Washington Commanders (6) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3) (0100 GMT)
Tuesday, Jan 14: Minnesota Vikings (5) @ Los Angeles Rams (4) (0100 GMT)
Divisional Round
Saturday, Jan 18: TBC @ TBC
Saturday, Jan 18: TBC @ TBC
Sunday, Jan 19: TBC @ TBC
Saturday, Jan 19: TBC @ TBC
Championship Round
Sunday, Jan 26: NFC Championship game
Sunday, Jan 26: AFC Championship game
Super Bowl LIX
Sunday, Feb 9: AFC winner vs NFC winner
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NFL Betting FAQs
Betting on the moneyline
The moneyline is a two-way market which gives you the option between betting on the home team or the away team.
If a game finishes level and goes to overtime, teams will continue to play for additional time and your bet is still valid.
How does NFL point-spread betting work?
The bookmakers assign a favourite for every match. The favourite will be -1 or greater, whilst the underdog will be +1 or greater.
Think of minus as a deficit to overcome, plus as an advantage to hold on to. If a team is -1, they must win by two clear points to beat the point spread.
If a team is +1, they need to avoid defeat to maintain their advantage and cover the point spread.
In the event the favourite wins by one, the bet is void, or ‘pushed’, and you’ll get your money back.
Why bet on the NFL point spread?
The advantage of betting on the point spread is that you get to bet at better odds. Whilst a favourite may be slim pickings at 1/2, for example, they may be as high as 9/10 on the point spread.
You’ll need them to win by a certain number of points, but it can be a worthwhile price to pay.
How does NFL total betting work?
The bookmakers set the total for each NFL game, which is influenced by historical factors such as results, offensive output and defensive efficiency. Basically, how good or bad a team is with or without the ball.
For example, if the total is set at 50.5, 50 or fewer points means the game has finished under the total, whilst 51 or higher means the game has gone over the total.
Sometimes you’ll see whole numbers, such as 50. In the event the game finishes with that number of points, you’ll get your money back.
Can I combine NFL bets into an acca?
Yes. Doubles, trebles, and accas are all possible when betting on the NFL. Sometimes you’ll see these labelled as parlays if you’re using an American website.
The advantage of an acca is being able to bet at much bigger odds, whilst the risk is you’re more likely to lose your money, albeit a lower stake than backing all four bets separately.
Alternative point spreads and alternative total
Because an NFL game can produce a wide-ranging number of points, you have plenty of choices when it comes to betting markets.
For example, if you identify the Kansas City Chiefs should win, but you aren’t betting on them to win by five or more points, you can take your pick.
The alternative markets allow you to bet on Kansas -1, -2, -3, -4, -5, and so on. If you’re feeling brave and want bigger odds, you may chance -6.
The same logic applies to the points total, so you’ll be able to adjust the number as you see fit.
This can be a useful strategy when you want to place an NFL acca but reduce the risk by betting at safer odds.
Prop betting
From time to time, you may see Planet Sport use prop bets. A prop bet is anything that doesn’t directly determine the outcome of the match.
You can bet on touchdown scorer, number of touchdowns or field goals scored, how many yards the quarterback will throw the ball, player catches, tackles, fumbles, and much more.
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How we pick our NFL tips
The Planet Sport team has extensive experience in the sports betting industry, including over a decade’s worth of experience betting on the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB.
Each week, our expert runs the rules over the week’s fixtures and uses their own systems, plus some tried and tested situations that have stood the test of time, to find mistakes in lines and identify the best NFL picks.